Operation Dead Zone
by Kirabaros
Summary: What is Operation Dead Zone? A dead Marine corporal has information that leads to the arrival of a long gone NCIS agent to pick up the pieces. Secrets are revealed and one NCIS agent tries to keep Team Gibbs from getting into trouble but at what cost?
1. Chapter 1

**Operation Dead Zone  
**

**Chapter 1**

The sirens were loud in his ears and threatened to make his head explode. It overrode the conversation the EMTs were having about his vitals. It was so loud, he couldn't open his eyes wide. He was forced to squint.

_BP is 140/20._

He opened his eyes and was greeted by blinding light. He realized that it was a flashlight. Damn EMT was looking into his eyes. Why the hell was he doing that?

_Pupils are responsive. _

_ Got a bleeder._

If he had the energy to do so, he would tell them that it was fairly obvious. He had been shot and had been nearly blown to bits. It was too much to recall at the moment. He closed his eyes and sank into dark oblivion.

_Are they gonna be okay?_

That sweet voice. He knew that voice so well. It made his stay in DC much more pleasant considering the other crap that had been going on. She sounded scared and worried. He hated it when she was scared. She was his Sciuto Bug, the sweetest thing in the lab.

_I have to be honest with you. Both agents' injuries were severe given that they had already had multiple gunshots followed by the explosion…_

He opened his eyes slowly now that the voices were becoming clear. He heard Sciutto Bug and he could even pick out Gunny. They were both there? His head was trying to make sense of the situation at hand. He could make out the low overhead light and a steady beating. It was the first clue. The second was the slight elevated position he was in. He forced his drug addled and tired brain to focus and determined that he was in the hospital.

_I can't tell you more except that it will be touch and go for the next few hours._

_ So you're saying that there is nothing you can do?_

There was David. He liked the passion that lined her voice and it became intense when she was really passionate about what she believed in. He also liked her penchant for mixing up her idioms. So that left DiNozzo and McGee.

McGee? McGee!

His mind screamed out the last thing he remembered. He had noticed the tripwire. The whole place had been rigged to explode. The bastard had no intention of surrendering. He looked over to see… He had to save McGee…

_Code blue in room 3._

The monitors were squealing. That was a moot point. He had to save McGee.

~0~0~

It was like a bad dream and had invoked a sense of déjà vu. It was supposed to be a simple and clean bust. They had the guy and were going to pick him up. Leroy Jethro Gibbs looked about the waiting room where his two dust-covered and virtually all right agents Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David were seated, waiting for news.

The elevator nearby dinged and out came Abby running towards him, "Gibbs. Are they okay?"

Gibbs looked at the girl who was his favorite looking at him and begging him to tell her everything was going to be okay. He didn't want to tell her since it would be a double whammy but he wasn't one to lie to her.

"Ziva? Tony?"

"We're fine Abby," Ziva said as she stood up. Tony followed her to show that he was okay.

Abby took a moment to look them over. They were covered in dust but they were alive. She couldn't resist giving them an Abby hug. "I'm glad you're okay but what about Raymie and Timmy?"

Ziva looked up from the hug Abby was giving her to look at Gibbs. This whole case had been a series of ups and downs and secrets and lies revealed. At least Abby wasn't angry anymore after what happened that morning. At this moment though the former Mossad officer didn't know what to say and had turned to the one that would probably be the best person to answer the question.

Gibbs looked at the standing members of his team. He was about to say something when a doctor came out, "Family for McGee and Salazaar?"

Abby looked over and jumped in with, "Where are they? Are they okay? Can I see them?"

Tony was the one to grasp the hyperactive and anxious scientist gently by the shoulder to indicate that she should calm down. Abby complied with and wrung her hands anxiously while Gibbs looked on before addressing the doctor. "How bad is it Doc?"

"I have to be honest with you. Both agents' injuries were severe given that they had already had multiple gunshots followed by the explosion…" The doctor looked at the four people looking at him, expecting answers. "Both agents sustained severe trauma. One appeared to have taken the brunt of the trauma."

"Which one?"

Gibbs looked at Abby who had given the outburst. This was hard on all of them but he was aware of the relationship she had with the two agents they were trying to get information about. "Keep going," he said to the doctor.

"Surgery was a must. Agent McGee sustained a concussion from the explosion as well as shrapnel. Some glass punctured his abdomen but it's not serious. The gunshot wounds… both in the chest but he wasn't hit in any vital organs."

"Raymie?"

The doctor cleared his throat. He took a look at Gibbs who was giving him a stare that made him uncomfortable. He wasn't giving too many details but he conveyed a look that said that he was willing to give them to the team leader. "Agent Salazaar… again shrapnel issues. Some punctured his lower back in his kidney. We were able to save it. Concussion and fractures to the left forearm." He wanted to say more but he wasn't sure how much more the others could take it.

Gibbs got the picture. Two of his agents were down and the bastard who did it was on his target list. "I get it. What's the score?"

"I can't tell you more except that it will be touch and go for the next few hours. Both patients are right now unconscious due to the concussions they sustained. We might know more if they wake up."

"If?" Abby looked at the doctor who was looking apologetic at her. She felt Tony and Ziva's hand on her.

"They both lost a substantial amount of blood which we've replenished and we did notice the possibility of a compromised immune system, probably from stress, from Agent Salazaar."

"So you're saying that there is nothing you can do?" Ziva asked the question swallowing back the secret she had been forced to keep.

The doctor was about to say something when the alarm went off. The nurses were rushing in calling a code blue. He hated to leave the group like that but his patient needed help. He gave an apologetic look before running back to deal with his patient.

Meanwhile Abby managed to shake off Tony and Ziva and look around hoping to find the injured agents. When the alarms went off, she followed the nurses and took a peek. She put a hand to her mouth when she saw who the struggling patient was. "Raymie!"

* * *

_Two Days Earlier_

The elevator dinged to signal that it arrived on the floor that it was destined for. Tony and Ziva exited bickering once again on her driving skills. Ziva was saying that her route back to the Navy Yard avoided traffic since they needed to get the evidence they collected back to Abby.

"When someone flips you the bird that means you…"

"What does flip the bird mean?"

Tim McGee smiled as he continued to write what he was doing for Gibbs. They had a dead Marine that had been attaché to a major weapons development company. At first it appeared to be an accident but Ducky managed to discover that it was a very elaborate murder. What Tim was doing had to do with what the dead Marine was working on. He had been hit by a wall that was called 'CLASSIFIED' and had been trying to get around it. The only thing he had been able to come up with was a word.

"It means…" Tony began trying to figure out what to say in order to explain it.

"The finger," a voice sounded.

Tony looked over to see a man sitting at his desk and looking at home in it. The guy was dark haired with dark eyes with olive toned skin. He was dressed in jeans, shirt and a blazer and a set of boots worthy of working in the field. More out of annoyance that there was a stranger he made a slight face and replied, "That's right. And that's my desk."

The man looked at Tony without any hint of apology and stood up. He moved away from the desk and commented, "Nice location. Perfect to see everything and avoid unexpected surprises. Certainly to avoid the famous head slap."

Tony was still eyeing the newcomer suspiciously as he moved away. He watched as he wandered over towards Gibbs' desk and said, "I'm Agent DiNizzo. What can I do for you?"

"Nothing really. Just waiting." The stranger didn't look at Tony but continued to look at Gibbs' desk with a certain amount of interest. He gave a slight hum and a smile.

"Waiting for what? McGeek what is he doing here?" Tony shot a look at Tim who was looking like he was in trouble.

"He said he had an appointment," Tim managed to get out.

"And you let him sit at my desk," Tony replied trying to pull the tough act on Tim. He didn't get any further for he felt the familiar head slap to the back of the head. "We're back Boss."

"I'm not your boss but don't get on his case. I took a seat and made myself at home while waiting," the stranger replied. He then motioned towards the computer on Gibbs' desk, "I see he still treats computers like he does his probies."

Tony frowned and glanced at Ziva who had been watching the scene with some amusement and some interest. He then looked at the stranger and asked, "What do you know about the Boss?"

"Plenty."

It was apparent that stranger wasn't going to say more. Tony looked at Ziva and then at Tim who had gone back to his notes. It was Ziva who took a step forward and asked, "You know Gibbs? Is he expecting you?" She frowned as she studied the stranger, trying to get a sense of who he was and was aware that she was being studied the same way.

"Yes and you're late," Gibbs' familiar timbre was heard as he entered the bullpen.

The stranger broke his gaze from Ziva and turned to look at Gibbs with a grin on his face. He replied, "I'm not late. I'm always on time and…" the stranger went back to Gibbs' desk and pulled out a tall cup and handed it over, "I remember the coffee. Good to see you Gibbs."

Gibbs looked at the stranger with that slight smile he gave when he was pleased that one of his rules was remembered to the letter. He accepted the coffee and replied, "Likewise Ray." He held out his hand for the expected handshake and pulled the stranger into a slight hug.

Ray returned the gesture and gave a pat in a manly hug. "Gunny, keep this up and I might start thinking you've gone soft."

Gibbs released Ray and gave a pat on his shoulder. He smiled as Ray picked up a similar coffee cup and held it in a similar manner as Gibbs. "I taught you that Skipper."

Ray chuckled and turned to look at Gibbs' flabbergasted team. At the same time he took a sip of his coffee, Gibbs did the same. If the age difference weren't so apparent, they would have been twins. He studied the team and asked, "So these are Team Gibbs."

"Yeap."

"Not bad." Ray took a sip and looked on in amusement while Gibbs barked orders for Tony to take the evidence to the lab. "I see you haven't lost your touch. So what's so special that Director Vance had you bring me in from my exile in the desert?"

"Old case," Gibbs replied and motioned for Ray to follow.

Ray nodded and followed Gibbs out of the bullpen and up the stairs. "One that we worked on?"

"Something like that."

Ray nodded. He knew that it was one of the cases he had worked on when he had been a part of Gibbs' team. That was a long time ago and if Vance wanted him to even set foot in the Navy Yard, it had to be a good reason. The past left long scars and it seemed that Vance was desperate to go there.

Gibbs glanced at the man who once was in Tony's position and noted how much he had changed over the years. Not a day went by that he thought that the man didn't deserve the fate that had been given him. If anything he deserved recognition for his actions that had gotten him exiled as he put it. He had to admit that some good came of it since the young man jokingly called him a few years ago and told him that he was a grandpa.

One thing that Gibbs was glad that didn't change was Ray's ability to observe a situation and react in the best way possible and usually that was with silence. He knew that there were questions hiding behind that serious expression but he was waiting in anticipation that they would all be answered. "How's my granddaughter?"

Ray gave a slight hum and a smile. "Twelve years old and starting to get crushes. Being a single dad is tough."

"What about Laura?"

"Nila loves her aunt and her cousin. She still has a couple of nightmares," Ray replied. He sighed and continued, "I must have been crazy to follow a dead guy's will and adopt her but…"

"That's the thing about little girls," Gibbs finished, knowing exactly what his former teammate meant.

"You got that right." Ray chuckled as he hiked up the stairs. He frowned a bit as they stopped outside of MTAC. "MTAC?"

"It's not just Leon that wanted to speak to you," Gibbs replied as he bent over to let the retina scan do its work.

"Formal firing squad I see," Ray replied as he waited for the door to MTAC to open. He waited until he was given formal invitation to enter. The way he saw it, he was a guest at the Navy Yard even though he flashed his credentials at the gate. He recalled the look he got even though he was waved through.

In all honesty Ray wasn't looking forward to seeing the director under these circumstances. He had long ago accepted his fate at being placed in a sort of undercover position at the crime lab in Las Vegas. He built up a good life just being a crime scene investigator and he was free to keep tabs on the software/technology company he owned. It enabled him to take care of his sister-in-law and her son while his brother was serving time in federal prison. Then three years ago he inherited a family, the daughter of one of the victims from a case that was… complicated.

Ray sighed as he followed Gibbs into MTAC and was greeted by Director Vance with Gibbs doing the introductions, "Leon. I believe you know Agent Salazaar."

"Technically he is not an agent," Vance said as he held his hand out for the customary handshake.

Ray took the proffered hand and shook it. "Right. I'm exiled. Nice to meet you formally Director Vance."

"Is that him?"

Ray peeked over Vance's shoulder to see a familiar sight. He raised his brow in surprise and said, "It is me. Been awhile sir." He wasn't even going to grace the Secretary of the Navy by name. Party politics was something that he would rather avoid.

The Secretary of the Navy Clayton Jarvis looked at the new arrival and gave an acknowledging nod. It wasn't going to be for politeness for its sake. After all, the exiled agent was the key to the problem that the current case NCIS was trying to solve. "Likewise."

"You know why you're here?" Vance asked Ray.

"I received the order to return to DC by your order but no details. If you're asking if I used my limited access to get into the system and find out then you'll be disappointed. I went through an inquisition once," Ray replied. He adjusted his stance to stand there and looked at the three pairs of eyes looking at him.

Vance was well aware of Ray's file as well as what hadn't been allowed in. With the current case and the clues that had been unearthed, he wanted this agent back. Jarvis was in a different frame of mind and more along the lines of national security but Vance, along with Gibbs, managed to convince him to bring him in and at least ask questions and talk to him. He replied, "I half expected it considering your credentials. Bachelor's degrees in criminal justice and biochemistry, masters in computer science and communication technology, service in the Navy and special agent with NCIS… you've got quite a record." Vance looked at Gibbs as if to confirm if he missed anything and then glanced at Jarvis for anything else.

"Very good Director," Ray replied, "Though I seriously doubt that my record is of issue."

"Actually it is," Jarvis countered. "Your actions within NCIS are of concern. I am not even sure if it is wise for you to be here."

"I guess that makes two of us sir," Ray replied. "However, since I'm here, I guess I'll ask the question: why was I summoned?"

Vance took the look from SecNav as his cue to continue. He nodded at Gibbs who said, "A dead Marine working as attaché to the weapons manufacturing company Leland Biotechnics was found. At first they thought it was suicide…"

"But it's anything but," Ray replied as he looked at the file. "Anything related to what Corporal Rawlings was working on?"

"We think so but that is not why we called you here," Vance replied as he took back the file.

"It's about your other activities," came from the view screen.

Ray let the file be taken from his hands. It was too much to hope for that they needed his help in the biotech area and all that stuff. Nope it had to be about a few other things and the things that got him busted all those years ago when he had played, what others called martyr, because he was the CO of that mission. "Oh I get it. Pick my brains on something that was deemed classified."

"It came up in the course of the investigation. We suspected that Corporal Rawlings discovered someone trying to sell what he was working on to a weapons dealer. A name came up and it led to us calling you back to DC," Vance explained.

"Enough. Salazaar, have you been in contact with those involved with Operation Dead Zone?"

Ray looked at Gibbs. It was apparent that Gibbs knew the name and had probably bugged Vance for details. Vance looked at him the same as SecNav; expectantly and ready to strike if he said anything condemning. What was it that they wanted him for? He replied calmly, "I've only been in contact with a few acquaintances but none of those involved. I was told that to do so could be pretty damning if you're innocent."

"That's not an answer." Jarvis knew that he was probably getting the usual from an agent who excelled at his job and had never shown hints of disloyalty.

"It's what I'll give, sir, unless I know why you want to know about someone from Operation Dead Zone." Ray looked at the panel firmly. There was a reason why they dragged him to MTAC. It was highly secure and that meant that they were worried. "Besides that mission was declared classified and the participants were threatened with treason if it was ever mentioned."

"I agreed to its declassification on the account that you would be able to resolve this," the secretary said.

Ray shifted and then asked, "You're thinking that whoever wanted what Rawlings was working was involved with Dead Zone. I could name ten that might fit but what makes you think that I can help you."

Vance looked at Gibbs and then at Ray, "Because the Corporal had your contact information, information related to Dead Zone, on his person when he was found."

Ray looked at the trio looking at him. Contact info from Blackstone? That was preposterous in that everything had been wiped clean. Well whatever he knew he had touched had been wiped clean with the exception of the reports and those were under lock and key. Part and parcel of what he had to do while working for Gibbs. "Why would my information be on a Marine that I've never met before in my life?"

"That is what we'd like to know and why you are being reinstated to full active duty."

* * *

**A/N:** Hi folks. I'm no stranger to fanfiction but I am a stranger to NCIS FF. Read, review and enjoy. Any and all reviews are welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Tony was still bewildered by the fact that there was a strange guy in the building and that he knew Gibbs and Gibbs knew him. It shouldn't have been surprising since there was Franks but that guy was older. This guy, who looked a lot better than CI-Ray, was younger and he had a familiarity with Gibbs that was scary.

Most agents at NCIS knew that you never tried to get on a familiar footing with Gibbs. Tony had seen more than one squirm under the boss man's gaze when they attempted to be friendly. It was ten times worse when it was evident that they had screwed up. If he could put a finger on it, Tony thought that Gibbs treated the guy like how he treated Abby. It was on his mind while he carried down the trace to Abby along with a Caf-Pow.

Abby was busy at her computer, trying to break into Corporal Rawlings' work computer but it was difficult. She really needed her Timmy to work his magic. He was better at the hacking into the computer thing. She was in extreme concentration when Tony walked in. Automatically she said, "Still trying to crack the password."

Tony put the Caf-Pow in front of her and replied, "You need McGoo?"

Abby gave her smirk as she took her needed sustenance and took a long sip. "McGee is busy on whatever Gibbs has him working on." She eyed the evidence in Tony's hands and asked, "What have you got for me?"

"Rawlings' personal computer, some clothes, fibers… the usual." Tony paused a moment before asking, "Do you know about any visitors we're supposed to get today?"

"You mean like Fornell paying a visit?" Abby worked as she asked the question. She had noticed the look on Tony's face and assumed that something happened in the bullpen to leave him looking like he was doubting if everything was real. She had a vague idea about what caused it and she could hardly go up to see for herself.

"Something like that but not Fornell," Tony replied.

"Haven't heard of anything."

"Huh. Not even if it was one of Gibbs' friends?" Tony looked and spotted Bert, the farting hippo.

"Nothing. As far as I know it's just a normal day." Abby smiled even the anticipation was killing her. She had heard no word officially but the day was going to be so much brighter. "Why?"

Tony finished looking at Bert and replied, "Well McGoo decided to let someone sit at my desk and make himself comfortable. He looked like he could be Gibbs' twin. Only younger. He certainly can do the head slap."

Abby said nothing but smiled. She could just imagine. It had been so long ago. She went about getting trace ready for Major Mass Spec and listened to Tony ramble. She had to tease him though and asked, "Blazer?"

"Yeah complete with shirt, jeans and boots."

"Coffee?"

"Most definitely."

Abby knew for certain that it was true. Even though Gibbs had come by and told her that morning, he had warned her not to get her hopes up. She knew though. No one was stricter with the unspoken rule of being on time than him. "Waiting long?"

"He made himself comfortable at my desk," Tony replied. It occurred to him that Abby had asked him a set of questions that had yet to be clear to him but it was related to his musings. "He stared at Ziva like he was trying to see right through her."

_That is so like him._ Abby kept the thought to herself. She could feel the energy start to build up. She was ready to go running up there now but as it were she had evidence to process. Besides if it was as Gibbs had hinted at earlier, then it would be a busy day and a bunch of awkwardness and moments that were… She knew that would be talked about later.

"You know something."

Abby looked up with her mischievous smile, "When did you figure that out Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo?"

Tony looked slightly miffed that he was being made fun of again but like everyone on the team, he couldn't stay mad with the perky Goth for long. "So you know the new guy?" He asked the question to throw off his discomfort.

"How can I not know Agent Ray Salazaar?" Abby bounced a bit as she let her babies do their work. "So it's really true that he's here?"

"Tall guy that passes for Gibbs' twin, dark hair and eyes and totally unapologetic manner?"

Abby jumped for joy. Tony had just described how she once described the visitor down to the letter. "He's here! He's really here!" She hugged Tony and released him and grabbed Bert and gave him a squeeze while saying the same thing over and over again.

It was clear to Tony that Abby knew the visitor and very well from the looks of it. The Goth practically flew through the lab processing the evidence that she had been given and prepping them for analysis. "Yeah. He's with Gibbs at MTAC."

"That means he might be coming back," Abby responded and continued her work. She looked at Bert and said, "He's back Bert and he'll be glad to see you."

Tony said nothing else except to remind Abby that they needed something on the computers if they were going to find out what Rawlings was involved with. He went back up to the bullpen where Ziva and Tim were talking and doing their assigned chores from Gibbs. It wasn't much to figure out that they were discussing their visitor. Tony had heard comments from other agents and some had him a bit suspicious about the conversations.

Sitting down at his desk, after taking a moment to check and see if there was anything he should be wary about, Tony went to work on his computer. He went to personnel and keyed in the name that Abby had given him. He was actually surprised that he got a hit off the whole thing at all. The category was what had Tony interested and he clicked on it. The results had him staring at the screen for a good hour until duty called and he went back to work on the Rawlings case.

* * *

"You seriously want to put me through this?"

Gibbs gave a shrug and replied, "Fast track to getting reinstated."

Ray sighed as he looked at the ear set that Gibbs was holding out to him. First day back and already at the grindstone and it wasn't going to be a picnic. He knew Gibbs. He took them and put them over his ears and put the required safety goggles on. He picked up the standard issue Sig and made sure it was locked and loaded with the ease of practice. "I didn't realize Sec Nav trusted me with a gun in my hand."

"He doesn't," Gibbs replied as he made sure his own gear was on, "but Vance and I do."

Gibbs knew that he could trust the young probationary agent, as his official status was, with his life. He knew the agent back when he was working undercover and it was how he discovered the treasure of a top marksman and unconventional investigator but one who got the job done. The undercover stuff along with his military background was more like icing on the cake especially after the respect Ray afforded him by calling him sir and even giving the Marine calls appropriately.

Gibbs was well aware that Sec Nav wanted a tight leash on Ray. It was the reason for the one day tests and the grilling polygraph due this afternoon. He didn't say it out loud in front of Jarvis but he had confided to Vance that it was a set up. His gut said that; the restrictions were designed so that in the case Ray screwed up or took the fall, he would be sunk and sent back into exile. Gibbs knew that Ray would toe the line on this; he had a daughter to support even though he was more than comfortably off financially.

The buzzer sounded and Ray brought the Sig up and fired the whole clip. Gibbs noted that he barely moved a muscle, if he did at all. He watched as Ray made sure the gun was in a safe mode before putting it on the table and stepping away. Now was the fun in seeing the result.

"You know that I have an unfair advantage Gunny," Ray said in a somber joking tone. "I used my good hand."

Gibbs couldn't resist the chuckle that came. He was well aware of that joke. It was when he learned that his agent was ambidextrous and could shoot just as well with his left as he could with his right. It certainly became jokingly known as the secret weapon after that. "It would have been unfair if you used the other hand."

Ray smiled and replied, "It would have been a slaughter." He was quiet for a moment and said, "I heard about Dearing and what happened. First instinct was to take the first flight to DC."

"I hear ya." Gibbs didn't doubt that. Even after all the crap Ray went through, he still had a profound sense of loyalty to NCIS. He was sure though that it more because of him and one probably over excited Goth bouncing in her lab right about now.

"Way to deal with terrorists… take them out when you have to."

It was a random comment while the time passed to get Ray's target sheet and look at it. Gibbs looked over to see two of the officials looking at it thinking it was impossible. If Gibbs was correct, there would be three taps to the head, four to the chest and three to the stomach and all within close proximity of each other. He was right on when they brought it over and Gibbs cast a furtive glance up to where Vance was watching.

"Terrible."

Gibbs looked to Ray as he was examining his handiwork. "Same routine on quals for you."

Ray looked at Gibbs and replied, "Gunny, precision is as important as accuracy. As a sniper you should know that." He pointed to the chest set and indicated that one was slightly off.

Gibbs looked and gave a nod of agreement. "I hear ya Skipper."

The smile Ray received lightened his sense of dread since he began the rapid quals Vance insisted he be put through. The physical and psych were cakewalk and even the polygraph was a no brainer. It was actually the social he dreaded. He had a feeling about the senior field agent in that he was the kind to find out more about the people he was working with. Personnel records were free for viewing as long as you had proper clearance and all that hoopla. Aside from Gibbs, there was one other person who would make this easy and he knew what to expect especially if she was in a mood.

"Hey, we all go through it," Gibbs said, guessing what the look of trepidation was about.

"And not all of us with sparkling records," Ray replied as he followed Gibbs out. He began stretching his arms in a lazy fashion but it served a purpose of easing the tension as he went through the familiar halls. He felt his muscles stretch and pull and that tightness in his shoulder blades occurred. He really shouldn't have responded so quickly but he did. He had to pay the piper now.

The rest of the physical fitness test was a pain in the ass but Ray sucked it up. He didn't mention a few things to Vance or Gibbs since it didn't seem pertinent at the time. It wasn't like anyone was going to care about it. There was that saying about walking it off and he had worse before and had to work and somehow he got the job done. He just sucked it up and prepared in gym clothes he remembered to bring for no reason other than to have something other than work clothes and got ready to dig in.

* * *

Abby was waiting impatiently by her favorite's desk and kicking the side of it. She knew that Gibbs wouldn't be so mean as to keep him through without some sort of break. He wouldn't deny anyone their lunch break even if they were in exile. She already had her Caf-Pow and it was starting to show as she thumped her boot on Tim's desk.

"Abby can you please stop?"

"Sorry McGee," Abby replied and tried to force her jiggling leg to stop. "It's just that I've been waiting and I don't know how much longer I can stand it."

Tim gave a soft smile, the annoyance at the thumping gone. Abby had come up excited about the guy named Ray that had Tony in a quandary and kept asking where he was. Tim's first impression was that the guy was okay but then Abby started talking about him.

It was okay at first but then Tim felt that rising hint of jealousy come up. The way Abby talked about this guy, it sounded like they were involved once. _Why do I bother? It's not like we're together._ Deep down though Tim knew that he was her Timmy and she was his Abby; it just wasn't recognized. Still he could be polite. This was the first in a while that she had been this happy and it made him happy that she was. He replied, "Well he and Gibbs need to catch up."

"We need to catch up and you got to meet him, meet him Timmy," Abby insisted. "You know really get to know him."

"I wouldn't know about that," Tony called from his desk. "From the looks of things, this could just be an overnight visit."

"Still, you got to get to know him," Abby insisted. She looked at the chocolate cupcake she had brought up. She had brought one for Tim and asked for his help with the hard drives. The other was for Ray, if he ever got here.

Tim watched as Abby fidgeted and figured that this Ray guy was very important to Abby. He was curious about their relationship as well as how he knew Gibbs. He certainly knew Gibbs' routine down like it was etched in his brain or something. The movements when they drank coffee were so similar that it was pretty creepy but neat. Tim was grateful for the head slap sent Tony's way and Tony's reaction was priceless.

Ziva was doing her work and her thoughts were also on the visitor. Hers were more like trying to evoke a memory. The way he looked at her, it was like he was trying to see inside of her or trying to recall if he had seen her before. She had done the same. There was something familiar about him but she couldn't place it. Looking up, she saw Abby bouncing around and gave a slight smile.

All thoughts were interrupted when the elevator dinged and opened to reveal Gibbs and Ray coming out of the elevator. Abby looked up and unable to suppress a squeal of joy, she took off running and saying over and over, "You're here! You're finally here!"

It was an interesting show to watch when the energetic Goth leapt forward and grabbed Ray in a huge Abby hug that was on par with one of Ziva's chokeholds. Tim, Tony and Ziva watched in surprise as Abby leapt forward and was actually caught by Ray. Gibbs said nothing but watched in slight amusement. They had work to do but this was an exception.

Ray had been told to anticipate and he had. He was prepared to catch the whirlwind that leapt at him and nearly choked him with one of her endearing hugs. He started laughing and replied, "Well now that was a warm welcome Abbs."

Abby let go and bounced on her feet and looked at Ray. "When I heard I had to see if it was you. I mean it's not that Gibbs would ever tell a lie but…"

Ray listened to Abby ramble with a grin. When she finished, he replied, "I missed you too Abbs. It's good to know that the place hasn't fallen apart with you manning the science."

"So are you here, here?"

Ray gave a nod. "Yeah." He was rewarded with another hug before she turned to business and let Gibbs know about the evidence she analyzed and scurried back to her lab but not before extracting a promise that he come down and take a look. When she was gone he muttered to Gibbs, "Glad some things haven't changed."

Gibbs gave a nod and made the introductions before pointing out that he would be sharing space with Tim. "McGee, show Ray what we have."

Ray noticed the look on Tim's face that had been quick and countered, "Um, do you mind if I take a break? Flight and the whole jumping through hoops thing."

Gibbs studied Ray for a moment. "Alright. Go."

Ray gave a nod and headed towards the elevator. He took stock of Gibbs' team as the doors closed. Once closed, he released the breath he had been holding. He hissed as the sharpness when through his shoulder. The fitness test and the subsequent tackle from Abby didn't help either. He had done all he could to hide it so as not to hurt her feelings. He couldn't tell Gibbs even though he was sure that he would have figured it out by now.

The elevator dinged to indicate his floor and taking a breath, Ray stepped out and headed towards his destination. He didn't need the guided tour since nothing much had changed since he was last there. Grabbing his right shoulder with his left, he rotated it and hissed slightly at the sensation it produced.

Dr. Mallard aka Ducky was busy writing a report when he heard the door open. He didn't look up but he did frown a bit since he wasn't expecting anyone coming for a report. Come to think of it, the way that it opened was nothing like any of the agents that came through his door.

"Excuse me, are you Dr. Mallard?"

Ducky turned towards the owner of the voice and was met with a young man that looked like Tim when he first joined Gibbs' team. "That would be me. What can I do for you young man?"

Ray looked at Ducky as he ventured into the domain of the ME. He was still rotating his shoulder and asked, "I was wondering if you could take a look at my shoulder. It's a bit sore and…"

Ducky knew who it was. "Ah Mr. Salazaar. I was wondering when I would get to meet you. Your presence has been an interesting sort of conversation." He got up to greet the man.

Ray gave a slight twitch of his lips. Yeah there would be, especially among those that remembered. He took Ducky's hand and tried not to let the pain show but he couldn't help it. "Sorry, Doc. Could you really take a look?"

Ducky was agreeable. "Certainly. Step into my office and I'm sure you know the drill." He motioned to a chair that would put his impromptu patient at a reachable level.

Ray nodded and sat down after taking off his blazer. Once seated, it was a big effort to get the t-shirt he had been wearing off. He grimaced slightly as he moved his limbs to pull the shirt off and took a deep breath once he had it off. He was aware that he was taking slight heaving breaths but now wasn't the time to be picky. He turned so his back was towards the ME.

"Oh. I see that you have a profound interest in body art like our Ms. Sciuto."

Ray made a slight hum. He knew Ducky was referring to the tattoo that was on the back of his left shoulder. It was a unique design that carried a lot of meaning. He replied, "Well I'm more into a certain kind of art… mostly religious."

"You're a religious man?" Ducky asked the question as he took in the bruises as well as the brown stained gauze on the back of the right shoulder. He gently began to peel off the bandage, noting that it was rather thick.

"Not a true devotee," Ray replied. "The Islam is in honor of a friend. Good person and a good Marine."

"I see. It looks like you've had some stitches done within the past few days. Tell me, were you injured in the line of duty?"

It never occurred to Ray to lie to the ME. For once he felt glad of the required cooler temperatures for autopsy and the like. It felt good on his back. He replied, "Yeah. Suspect returned to the scene. Had to protect my partner. I was lucky that it was a .22 and that was after a few knocks."

Taking a look, Ducky could see that the bullet wound around the stitches was inflamed. The bruises looked worse than what they really were but the main concern was the bullet wound. He tentatively touched it and watched as the skin changed color and heard the telltale hiss. "Interesting. Have you been following the post treatment care?"

"As well as I can. The desert has a backlog and then I got the call. Gotta do what you can Doc."

"You can call me Ducky."

Ray gave a chuckled. He turned slightly in his seat. "Ray is just fine."

Ducky smiled. He liked the young agent that was seated before him. He was quiet but there was more to him than he tended to let on. What he didn't like was that he was sitting there with an injury and was persistent in agitating it. It was inflamed and if he had to venture a guess, it was infected and he was probably running a fever. "Well, the stitches are fine but it looks a little inflamed."

Ray listened while Ducky ran off what he was seeing. He had been feeling under the weather the last day. He had followed post treatment since he knew the danger of not taking care of wounds especially in the field. He had been the one adamant about that while in the field. It must be a mild grade fever infection since he was still functioning and all he had to worry about was the pain. He ventured, "Anything you recommend?"

"First off, a visit to your doctor and have it treated."

"Already visited a doctor," Ray replied. "And he's scolding me now."

"And I suggest you take his advice and visit one of the clinics and get antibiotics for it. I can clean and redress it but for the pain…"

"Got it covered," Ray replied fishing out the prescription tube. He held it up for Ducky to see.

Ducky read the label and noticed that there was one refill pending and the tube looked nearly full. In fact it looked like it hadn't been opened at all. He looked at Ray as he cleaned the wound. None of the stitches were ripped so that was a good thing. "Tell me something Ray, have you been taking your prescription?"

"Nope. I've spent most of my career in the field and have been injured before. I'm used to it."

Ducky said nothing more as he finished cleaning the wound and redressing it. He watched as Ray rotated his shoulder and pulled his t-shirt back on. He certainly was moving a lot better now. "Well I suppose you are off to more interesting pursuits."

Ray gave a slight smile as he pulled on his blazer. He liked the ME and could see why Gibbs liked him too. He replied, "Gotta take the polygraph since I'm _way_ behind with my file. Thanks Duck. I hope this means that you're my chosen doctor?" He held out his hand for a handshake.

Ducky reciprocated and watched as Ray left. It wasn't more than a few seconds when Gibbs came in. Ducky didn't have to ask why Gibbs was there and let Gibbs do the talking, "Well, Duck?"

"Now Jethro, you know that doctor-patient confidentiality prohibits me from…"

"Duck, please."

Ducky sighed knowing that Gibbs was going to insist, "Well…"

* * *

**A/N:** I know you are all wondering about this new agent that came out of the blue that knows Gibbs and Abby and that folks is part of the surprise. Stay tuned for more...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Tim watched with interest as Ray ran through the keys on the laptop he had been given with great speed. He thought he was fast but it looked like he was in the run for some competition. As soon as Ray came back from polygraph, he was given the laptop and told to sit until Gibbs briefed him. Tim raised his brow as Ray readily complied and popped open the laptop.

"Do you need me to log you in?"

Ray looked at Tim and took in the expression. Slowly and deftly he pulled the laptop off of Tim's desk, placed it on his lap and answered politely, "No thank you."

Tim knew how temperamental the laptop computers could be and tried to warn the new agent, "Um you really should let me…"

Ray started tapping the keys and then a beep occurred. Tim watched what had been called the Gibbs' grin appear and heard a victory phrase muttered. Peeking over, Tim saw that Ray had managed to bypass the login and was already doing harmless web surfing. "Wow."

Ray glanced at Tim but kept his eyes on the screen. He suspected that he had been given the laptop to make him feel frustrated since he didn't have the security login he needed and those took time; it was something he knew he wouldn't have a whole lot of once he was brought up to speed. It basically was a blatant reminder that he was on sufferance for the time being and not wanting to be beholden to one of the field agents on Gibbs' team, he went right in.

It had been fairly simple for him since he had cracked logins before at his last assignment. He was on and couldn't help but mutter the Marine call 'oo-rah' under his breath. He immediately began taking care of business since he did have responsibilities outside of work. Plus he had to talk to a friend for some information that would prove useful. He knew that he had impressed Tim and replied, "Being in exile gives a person plenty of time to practice."

Tim was still watching. "You're pretty good."

"A degree in computers works wonders plus a little amusement on weekends." Ray cast a slight grin at Tim.

"You program?"

"For fun but at the office it's useful." Ray continued to look at the screen. He was used to holding conversations with people while working on a project. The latest one he knew would tickle Abby and he had a sample for her that he had remembered to bring. He opened up the email for the company to advise his right hand man.

Tim had been watching Ray work and was a bit surprised at the page that came up. "Wait. You're that Salazaar?"

Ray paused and looked up with a slight look, "What other ones are out there?" He gave a ghost of a grin to let the young agent know that he was teasing. He was well aware that the others were looking at him and he heard the whispers and it was too much to hope that if he didn't acknowledge them, they would go away.

"Yeah McGoo, what other ones are there that haven't got a redaction as long as the Navy Yard?" Tony had addressed Tim but was looking at Ray with a look of suspicion.

Ziva looked up at the tone Tony was using. At that moment she saw something flicker in Ray's eyes but no reaction came. The only thing that happened was the gentle tapping of his forefinger on one of the keys of the laptop. She could understand Tony getting in arms about a new teammate especially since Gibbs did let him get away with the familiarity and then there was that thing with Abby earlier.

"All been through a similar stretch… just rougher than others."

It had been uttered low but Ziva heard it. She studied the new agent with curiosity. That phrase was familiar. She knew she had heard it before but it was in a different language. She just couldn't place it at the moment. Instead she took the time to watch Ray and Tim interact. Tim was asking, "The founder and CEO of DigiCom, the country's top technology company. They've developed a lot of the programs used in forensic analysis and training programs…"

"The gaming division has picked up in recent years. We recently got a contract to create _Deep Six_," Ray added as he continued composing his email with instructions. He was used to doing it when he had to be away from the company home base for long periods of time. "Always liked the games that made you think."

Tim realized that he was up for another round of heckling at that revelation. He had agreed to it after carefully weighing the options and decided it was a risk. The pitch came from a DigiCom representative and now that he was sitting with the actual owner… it was a good thing and a bad thing. He decided to steer the conversation in a different direction, "So you really are the owner?"

"Yeap and I get a kick out of pitching new forensic communication technologies in between catching a few bad guys," Ray rattled off. He finished his instructions and sent them off. _Probie is going to be pissed but then again Jo is a miracle worker._

"So what are you doing back here at NCIS?" Tony leaned back and studied Ray.

"He's on the case DiNozzo," Gibbs replied as he entered the bullpen. He had an enlightening conversation with Ducky and then went to do a few more of the usual when he got the call. "Got a dead sailor."

Ray didn't move at first but he did manage to minimize and lock the windows and shut the laptop. He held it in his lap since as far as he knew, his status wasn't clear yet… at least not until Gibbs said, "Do you need a special invitation Salazaar?"

"On your six, Boss," Ray replied and put the laptop down. He would have gone with the others had Gibbs not held out the Sig he picked up. He raised his brow and looked at Gibbs and the look confirmed it. He was back in. He nodded and followed the other three out to garage to get the bus out and running.

Gibbs waited until Ray was gone before turning to glance at Vance who was watching the scene below. The discussion they had while watching the bullpen was hardly a good one. Of course Gibbs knew that the standard line about policy and such especially the order from Sec Nav was a given. The highlight was that Vance told him that the new agent was to do what he had to do… as long as it was within the rules.

Gibbs gave a slight nod and turned to follow his team out. At least Ray hadn't lost his touch when it came to some socialization since he seemed to have made an impression on all of his agents. This was going to be interesting but he did hope that it would be a chance for his friend. Gibbs caught up with Ray who had been waiting in the hall. He gave a knowing smile and said, "It is official."

"But you still have to be my babysitter. I know the drill Boss," Ray replied. "Shadow job and still working the case."

* * *

Ziva examined the scene around the body, looking for something that would help in identifying the killer. Tim was checking the area and snapping pictures while Tony was talking to witnesses. Gibbs was with Ducky and Ray… Frowning she looked up and saw that the newest agent was just standing there and staring at her and Palmer.

Palmer was oblivious to everything since he had received a polite good day from Ray. Ziva automatically bagged the evidence and tagged while she kept glancing at Ray. He barely moved and when he did, it was like he was strolling but his eyes said different. He was studying the scene and pausing only to make notes.

Ray was aware that he was being studied. He tried to ignore it but considering that he could see it every time he paced back and forth viewing the scene, it was difficult. Ziva was looking at him like he would a suspect and he did blame her. The day was full of crazy shit going on and he caused it pretty much.

He knew that it was for poses being in the field and helping process evidence and eventually catching the guy. He was also pest control, for lack of a better term. That was related to the whole conversation in MTAC and why he was brought in.

After Vance revealed that he was being made to full active status, he was told that he was to basically be pest control. Apparently Sec Nav was tolerating his answer that he hadn't been in contact with anyone related to that op. It was revealed that the dead Marine was working on something that was related to the end results of Dead Zone.

Ray asked why his help was needed aside from the fact that his contact alias for that was on the body. He didn't get it. It was something Gibbs could work out with the annoyance of having a classified/redacted op available. This was cake walk in terms of dealing, if you had the patience to deal with people like the agency and FBI or whoever's toes you were about to step on.

It was then that Sec Nav revealed some images that had really shaken him. At first he thought it was a joke but even he knew that Sec Nav didn't mess around with serious stuff like that. The images showed some people he knew well conversing with known terrorists. He knew that because he still got updates through some of the few friends he had. It was a low blow since the survivors of that op were good people. He knew because he had stuck his neck out for them. His first question was, "Do you want me to take them out?"

It was a standard question in his line of work. He was slightly surprised that he was shot down. Apparently the FBI counter terrorism and CIA were on that end. Ray knew that meant they were probably working an asset meaning that they were going after the bigger fish. No surprise there. What they wanted him to do was to be mop up, make sure any trace of Dead Zone was out of official NCIS hands. He was also ordered that full disclosure of Dead Zone was need to know and that came with restrictions. So now he was out in the field and doing his job but with kid gloves on.

"What are you doing?"

Ray diverted from his note taking to look at Ziva who was still looking at him. He could do the usually and bluff her off but he could tell that she could see through bullshit. In fact the look she was giving him was very familiar. He replied, "Surveying the crime scene. Getting a feel for it."

Ziva finished bagging and tagging and put it ready to go to Abby when they got back to the Navy Yard. She stood up as Ray moved to circle the body and catch a glimpse of the wound tract. Palmer was bagging the body and getting ready to move it. She watched him and asked, "Getting a feel for what?"

"One of my quirks in investigation. I can sometimes visualize the scene," Ray replied as he finished taking notes. "Palmer was there unburnt powder?"

"No."

"What does that have to do anything?" Ziva frowned as she came over to see what Ray was writing.

"Unburnt powder indicates a close encounter. There was none or minimal; further tests on Abby's end are required." Ray circled around now that Palmer was gone and looked around while Ziva followed. "Taking into account the witness statements… Lt. Caldwell was hit by a sniper shot."

"Now you're being a bit ridiculous," Ziva replied while trying not to be mean about it. "There is no way that you could have figured that out like that."

"Don't doubt the man, Ziva," Gibbs said as he came over. "So you find anything."

Ray motioned for Ziva to follow him and he put her right where he could ascertain the dead guy was standing. "Ziva's roughly the height of the LT. From initial observation, the bullet wound entered here." He pointed to a stop on Ziva's back and ignored the fact that he was annoying her by it. "Taking into account angle, wind adjustments our killer fired approximately that direction." He pointed at a building and held his hand in a mock gun form. "Give or take."

Gibbs looked at Ray and gave a slight grin. "Haven't lost your touch."

Ray gave a shrug. He silently went over to where his field kit was, picked it up and headed towards the building. "Know the drill Boss."

Ziva had turned around to see where Ray had been pointing. She looked at Gibbs and at the look went to pack up her evidence. She turned back once to see Ray heading off to where he had pointed. There was something strange about him and it seemed familiar.

* * *

The breeze from the top of the building rippled through Ray's hair as he looked around the rooftop. He sighed as he looked around and hoped that this would work out. He had confidence in the math and he was going with that.

It was a talent and it was the kind that had people thinking he was insane. As he once pointed out, he was an acquired taste. It also helped that he had learned a few tricks as a sniper shot; that was something that he brushed off when he first met Gibbs until he trusted him enough with that and a few other details.

Ray policed the roof looking for anything. Sometimes a shooter missed a casing or they left something else. He wasn't going to hold his breath since this was the second guy from the biotech firm that was killed. Something was up and he couldn't believe it had to do with Dead Zone. He didn't even know what it was that he had been sent to retrieve.

A slight glint caught his eye and Ray started on approach. As he got closer, he frowned slightly as he pulled out a camera to photograph. It was a shell casing. He found the location, or the approximate location. Putting the camera to his face, he peered through it like he would a scope and looked around. It wasn't like an actual scope but it would do and he wanted to get a feel for what the gunman was seeing.

The first look was down where the dead lieutenant was found. He made adjustments for the zoom so that it would look like a scope. He used Gibbs as a focal point and felt a little embarrassed when Gibbs looked up at him. He knew Gibbs trusted him not to screw around but he couldn't help that feeling. It was like treading water for him as he forced his body to not react while he finished the adjustments and moved to look where the lieutenant was found.

It was impulse to take a picture and it could be used for reference. There was something vaguely familiar about the set-up of the crime scene. Having gone on missions undercover, he could recall certain details but this was disturbingly familiar. It was something to go through later since he was supposed to mop up this mess.

He adjusted his position slightly and caught Ziva in his lens. There was something about her that he liked and also was familiar. When he first met her, he couldn't help but notice the Star of David around her neck. Not one to make assumptions, he kept his observations to himself and went through business. His mind was on the job even though she had been asking him questions. He took the picture before he could stop himself and quickly looked at other angles.

He reverted towards where there were cars parked. He could see something and adjusted his zoom again. There was someone watching the activity. He couldn't really see who it was but he didn't like how it looked. He reached for his cell and dialed. Once he got a response he said, "Grey sedan in lot. He's watching."

It was short and brief but he knew that he would be understood. It was confirmed when Gibbs started heading towards the sedan. Before Gibbs got close enough the car took off. Ray took pictures in rapid succession, hoping that he got something like a license plate number. He lowered the camera the minute he saw something out the window. The gesture…

The phone rang and it was automatic, "Yeah Boss."

Ray listened to what was being said and gave his reply. He finished his photo op and went to collecting the casing. Using the tweezers, he picked it up. As he held it up, something familiar caught his eye.

_The ride in was going to take them out of sight, out of mind of the compound. Negotiations were still going on and any sign of foul play before things were in place would screw the pooch. Ray looked at the crew that had his back op after op. Even though they were all smeared with the black grease paint, he knew who each of them were. He grinned at his point man and asked, "You ready Simkins?"_

_ "Ready Boss."_

_ Ray frowned a bit as he noticed the mag that was being checked and then gave a slight smile. "Still using your specials?"_

_ Simkins looked at Ray and grinned, "I like leaving a calling card and you know the story. The first kill I made I etched the verse that came to mind. Since then I do it on all my ammo. Sort of like a talisman."_

_ Ray nodded. "We all have a quirks but we're a team. Right boys?"_

_ "Hoo-ah," the team chorused._

_ Ray took the moment to reiterate their mission. When the chopper dropped them in, it was like going on autopilot in terms of securing the area while the rest of the team dropped. Ray led the team and Simkins covered their six…_

Ray had seen the photos that Sec Nav showed him and Simkins wasn't in any of them. It didn't make sense unless someone was framing him. It sounded weak but it was a possibility but even Ray knew that you had to follow the evidence. What he was looking at was a special casing from Simkins' set of bullets. It was also a sickening thought that his old point man was the one that killed the lieutenant since he had determined it was a sniper round and Simkins would have been able to make the shot.

Actually it was an easy shot; too easy for Simkins. There were a million thoughts running through Ray's mind but he knew that he just had to process it. He knew what he had been instructed to do but he wasn't about to screw up an investigation by 'losing' evidence. He bagged it and tagged it and hoped that Abby could use her magic and maybe answer the questions coming through his mind.

He was about ready to leave when he decided to give one last look. The only thing that had been left was the casing. He couldn't even find much in terms of disturbance on the roof. Something told Ray that this had been set deliberately even though it was where the sniper was situated. He got the feeling that he was going to have to break a few dozen restrictions if he was going to get to the bottom of this and avoid anything damaging to Gibbs and his team.

It was a quick jaunt back to the bus and Gibbs was waiting for him. He said, "That was the point."

"Okay," Gibbs replied. "Anything up there?" It was not an unusual question since they were investigating the scene.

Ray made a slight movement and replied, "Shell casing for Abby but I can tell you right away who it belongs to."

"You gonna tell me about it?"

"You know the drill Sec Nav gave me," Ray replied. He looked in the direction that the sedan had taken. He knew that Gibbs would have put a BOLO on the vehicle the moment that it had taken off. It's what he would have done. He knew Gibbs was waiting for an answer to supplement what he said but… He looked at Gibbs and said, "You'll have answers but where there are no ears."

"Paranoia, Skipper?"

"You know how it is." Ray looked down and shuffled his feet unaware that he and Gibbs were being observed by Ziva.

"You can trust Leon," Gibbs offered.

"Maybe a few years ago Gibbs but I've got a family to think about," Ray replied looking up. He sighed. "I never thought I would be working a MCRT case again. Gave up on that two months in."

Gibbs waited patiently. He knew that Ray would tell him since he just said that he would. There was still the hint of the agent that did what he could to solve a case. "Now you're back. What are you gonna do?"

Ray looked at Gibbs and gave a slight grin. "Take my evidence to Abby." He sobered a bit and added, "Gibbs you've had my six for years. There's no one I trust more with the need to know that I have little intention of obeying."

"Glad to hear of it."

"It is related to why Sec Nav wants this quiet. That's all I can say for now. Without anything else I can't make heads or tails of much. If I knew what Rawlings and Caldwell were doing for the biotech firm I might be able to say definitively if it has to do with DZ. My contact alias just seems random and planted."

"And the shooter?"

"From the old crew but I want to be sure and it could mean a freelancing."

Gibbs gave a nod. That could be the case. It did occur to him that if that was the case, Ray's alias being dropped could be a way to bring him in. The idea that it might be a revenge thing was a possibility but as far as he could tell Ray was unaware of those activities. That didn't mean that he wasn't in on this. The man had been an undercover and knew how to blend in and could tell a complete lie like it was the truth.

"I know what you're thinking Boss."

Gibbs looked up to see Ray looking at him. He raised his brow in a silent query knowing that Ray could read the facial expressions. He was a bit surprised that he was still that transparent to his old probie.

Ray gave a grin and replied, "I may be accused of many things but one thing I'm not; unit, core, God, country, Gunny."

"Aren't you a sailor Skipper?"

"Same difference."

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like old ops and memories are being drudged up and Ray makes some inroads with Team Gibbs. Seems like Ziva might know him from somewhere but isn't sure. Stay tuned for more Operation Dead Zone...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Abby was frustrated as she tried again and again. Rawlings' work computer still wouldn't let her in. Her music was blasting out louder than should be allowed but she was frustrated and she was ready to pull out the big guns.

"ABBY!"

Abby turned down the music and turned to see Tim come in. She immediately lit up. "McGee! Just the man I need."

Tim endured the Abby hug and replied, "Gibbs said that you might need some help."

"I do. This password encryption just has me wanting to shoot it." Abby walked over and motioned at the computer. The screen was flashing, indicating that it was locked and whatever she had tried had failed. "Can you work your magic McGee?"

Tim actually wondered when he would be sent down ever since they picked up the laptop and the computer. He had been tracking known contacts but that had only gotten him so far. The real meat lay in what Rawlings was working on. He looked at Abby giving the look she gave when she needed help from him. "I'll see what I can do."

Abby responded giving Tim another hug and went to work on the trace and other elements of the trace that had been brought. Major Mass Spec was doing his best at what she wanted to know. It was barely ten minutes when the door to her lab opened. Automatically she said, "I don't have anything yet Gibbs."

"It's a good thing I'm not Gibbs then."

Abby turned and felt her day lift even higher, but not as high as Tim being there to help her. She smiled and restrained from another display she had shown in the bullpen. She teased, "Did Gibbs send you to rule the mines?"

Ray acknowledged Tim and replied, "No but if you have Sciuto Bug for me that's good." He held out the Caf-Pow he had brought. It had been a bit of sweet talk reasoning for him to be down in the lab to look at the computer evidence first since he was convinced that was the key since physical evidence would be weak. The BOLO pulled up the sedan but it had been abandoned and it was clean so that was…

Tim frowned at the term Ray used to refer to anything Abby might have. It sounded a bit personal on his end but he did pick up that it was a play on scuttlebutt, the term used to refer to gossip. Being nice he said, "Just started trying to get into the computer Rawlings was working on at Leland Biotechnics. The encryption is really high end stuff."

"But my Timmy can do it," Abby cut in.

Ray was well aware that Abby was trying to impress him with the people that she worked with. He smiled and replied, "I'm well aware of that Abbs." His eyes told her that she didn't need to impress him. "Actually I have something for you."

"Whatcha bring me?"

Ray held the evidence bag with the shell casing. He had held onto it and spoke to Gibbs about it while Tony and Ziva were working the sedan. He gave Gibbs a name but he needed to be sure since he had quite a few surprises that day. It had been a lot to ask of Gibbs since he was treading close to not doing what Sec Nav wanted him to do with anything remotely related to Dead Zone. "Shell casing. Think it's a Remington .22 but I'm rusty and I think there is something etched on it."

Abby smirked as she took the evidence bag with the casing. "You've always known your bullets. It's why Gibbs likes you."

Ray gave a slight smile as he looked around the lab. The most fun he ever had back at the company was playing around in the development labs. Some of the projects that were thought to be bust he managed to steer in the right direction. Communications technology was big and Jo told him that the military wanted a contract; a thing that had him apprehensive since they didn't know it was his company though they would have done a thorough background check. Maybe that was why Sec Nav had him on the radar.

Ray diverted his attention to Tim's work. He was impressed by the agent's computer savvy and thought that if he weren't committed to NCIS, he would have hired him in a heartbeat. He surveyed when he noticed that Tim was looking at him. He backed away, "Sorry. I appreciate good work."

Tim wasn't offended that he was being watched. It was more out of nervousness. He had a running subscription to DigCom and tried to keep up with the latest in forensic software and had been nurturing ideas to introducing them to NCIS. He was more nervous that the owner and considerably one of the best geniuses in computer technology was there in the same room as him. He said, "It's fine. No harm and you are an agent…"

Ray gave a grin and motioned that it was okay. "I'm just here to deliver evidence. I'll head back up."

"Don't go Raymie. Stay here," Abby called. She gave a begging look.

Ray took a moment to hide the laughter that threatened. He had been wondering when Abby would use the nickname she saddled him with. He actually had been looking forward to hearing it from her since it sort of made it seem like he never left. True his nephew had the same nickname but it was different being called that. "You don't need me Abbs and I'm all thumbs with Major Mass Spec."

Abby gave a look that was a cross between scolding and amusement. She had noticed how Tim jumped when Ray entered. It was that nervous hero worship thing. She said, "No I don't but I'm not wasting a moment catching up. Even if I'm busy."

Ray gave a grin. He put his hand into his jacket pocket and wrapped his fingers on what was in there. He glanced at Tim who was trying not to be nosy while working. Slowly he pulled out the disk he had brought and teased, "If this is catching up, I guess you don't want to see what I brought you."

That got Abby's attention. She rounded on Ray and said, "Whatcha bring?"

"I don't think I want to show you."

"Raymie!"

"No."

Tim couldn't help but give a slight smile. He knew he was a sucker for Abby's requests when it came to needing help. He would always help her even if she didn't ask. It was actually amusing to see someone who was immune to the look she gave and was actually brave enough to tease her like that. He did feel a slight pang of jealousy in that it was a testament to how close the new agent and Abby were.

"Raymie if you don't give it to me I'll kill you and leave no evidence behind," Abby threatened in a joking manner. She had used that before and everyone knew that she could do it if she had to and knew to do what she said.

"And you know how good a ghost I can be. We can play cat and mouse all day," Ray teased back. He liked seeing Abby get flustered.

Abby narrowed her eyes playfully and replied, "You're very evil. You know that you'll win."

"Usually do." Ray gave a smile and a sigh and held up the disk that he had in his pocket. "Usually deployment makes the call on who to send new software out for test and trial but I figured you could use a challenge and I pulled a few strings to get you on the list." He held it out to Abby.

Abby took the disk and looked at it. She was grinning like she got all her Christmases at once. "What is it?"

"Just a program," Ray replied in a knowing grin. "Something about traces on electronic stuff. You know." He gave a grin and was rewarded with a punch to the shoulder. "Hey I got you on the list. You just gotta find the instructions on the disk and send in your results."

Abby continued to narrow her eyes at Ray. "Fine," she replied with a smile.

When Abby's back was turned Tim said in a low voice, "That was impressive."

Ray looked over at the agent and leaned in to whisper, "I know Abbs well. It just takes a set to see through the bluff. Of course it's hard when you get the look."

Tim nodded in agreement. He entered the last keystrokes and there was a blip. The screen changed and the data was revealed. "I got it Abbs," Tim said.

Ray went to peek in over the agent's shoulders to look at the information. He watched as Tim went through the files. Most of it seemed like the stuff his technicians were working on. _Come on. What is in there that has Dead Zone over it?_ He studied the images until a certain file caught his eye. He tapped Tim on the shoulder and said, "Click on that. That file marked by the reference number."

Tim went to do it. "You smell something?"

"Just that all the files are named except that one. Odd sock," Ray replied. He tried not to make a sound at the stonewall that occurred with another encryption. "Seems like we may have found our fish. Can you get in?"

"I can try but I've never seen this configuration before," Tim replied. He tried a few keys.

Ray watched as Tim's efforts met with a block. "Try the Gordy Algorithm."

"What?"

"The Gordy Algorithm. Developed and named in honor of a fallen." Ray looked at Tim who was looking at him a bit strangely. He went into detail, "It's like a two man team going in against odds. It was named that way because…"

"Right. Somalia in 1993," Tim replied. He was familiar with that algorithm. He rapidly entered the appropriate keystrokes and sat back. He raised his brows at the fact that it worked. The file that they were after opened up and displayed information.

Abby had gotten her hits on the shell casing and other evidence and had gone over to watch her favorite boys work. She cheered, "Nice work McGee."

Ray felt his lips twitch as Abby gave one of her hugs around Tim's neck. He noticed a few things and kept his thoughts to himself. He diverted his attention to the screen at what Tim was searching through. It was Tim who asked, "What is that?"

Ray studied the images. He felt his eye twitch slightly. He felt that familiar pit of dread he would get when he knew things were going to go south or there was something coming and he didn't know where it was going.

_This, my friend, is something that could change the course of warfare. We'll still need you soldier boys but this is treasure._

Ray remembered that conversation well. The thing was that it shouldn't exist. It was a pipedream; nothing but scribbles in a notebook. Looking at that screen though, it was pretty evident as to what it was. He replied, "The next stage in warfare."

Tim and Abby looked at Ray as he continued to stare at the images. He narrowed his eyes as he saw the scanned images of the notes he had seen. He recognized them and the scrawl on the prototype designs.

* * *

Gibbs strolled out of the elevator to head to see Ducky. The ME called to say that he had done the autopsy on Lt. Caldwell so he was going to see what he had. He entered to find Palmer finishing what he was doing and Ducky waiting for him. He asked automatically, "What do ya have for me Duck?" He paused to look over the body.

"Well as my preliminary findings indicate, Lt. Caldwell was killed by a single shot to the back. I sent the round up to Abby," Ducky began. "The trajectory suggests that the round was fired from…"

"A rooftop?"

Ducky looked at Gibbs and nodded, "Yes. How did you know?"

"Ray figured it out. Found the shell casing," Gibbs explained.

"Extraordinary," Ducky replied genuinely amazed. He continued on his report of the condition of the body. The lieutenant was a typical healthy male but there were some anomalies. Ducky brushed the locks of hair, "If you look at the roots, this man was not a natural dark haired."

Gibbs peered and noticed a few streaks of reddish hair near the roots. "He's a red head. So he changed his hair color Duck."

"Yes he did and wore color contacts," Ducky replied pointing out the green eyes, "but Jethro in my examination I noticed faint scarring on certain areas of his face," Ducky replied as he held up the facial chart he had made. "There are surgical scars focusing heavily on the nose and brow region but encompasses the whole face suggesting heavy facial reconstruction was performed."

"Accident?" Gibbs felt that gnawing in his stomach indicating that his gut was at work.

"I checked his medical history and there is no record of Lt. Caldwell having any sort of accident that would involve facial reconstruction." Ducky looked up at Gibbs. "I think this sailor is not who he led everyone to believe."

Gibbs looked at the face below. He couldn't figure out why someone would hide their face completely unless it was to hide from something or someone. "Is there a way to figure out what he looked like before the operation?"

"Not sure but we can figure out who he was before he became Lt. Caldwell," Ducky supplied. "I have dental impressions and there are fingerprints. I even sent a sample up for DNA checks. If he is in the system under a different name then you'll have your man. We'll see what we get. Oh and there was a tattoo on the right forearm." Ducky showed Gibbs the tattoo.

Gibbs continued to look down at the body. He could sense a question that was hankering to be asked. "Something else on your mind Duck?"

"Yes. Jethro, why is Mr. Salazaar here?"

It was direct even for Ducky but Gibbs knew that was the million dollar question. He had heard the whispers throughout the bullpen and had overheard conversations between Tony and Ziva. He looked at Ducky and replied, "He's a tech."

Ducky knew when Gibbs was being evasive. "A rather weak answer even for you Jethro."

"He's an agent Duck. We needed help."

"And Timothy is the best you have," Ducky pointed out.

"Keep up your investigation Duck. I'll let you know," Gibbs replied evading the answer. He knew that he was going to have a serious conversation with Ray about what they were finding. He didn't want to keep Ducky out in the cold but it was Ray's call on how far he wanted to go on this. He was under orders and it seemed that he had mellowed out over the years in regards to protocol but he was still a hell of an investigator.

"Jethro," Ducky called to make Gibbs pause. When he got Gibbs' attention he continued, "I understand if you have to keep this under a certain amount of circumspection but…"

Gibbs gave a slight smile of reassurance, "I'll let you know when I know Duck." He then turned to head up to Abby's lab.

He found Tim working on the computer from Leland and Ray was working on Abby's computer, looking up information or something. Abby was doing whatever she was doing and she dropped it the moment he walked in and said, "I got something for you."

Ray didn't fully listen to Abby's presentation on her evidence but he kept an ear open on the gist of the conversation. His attention was focused on the info he was digging up on Leland Biotechnics. It was a sure thing that there was basic info dug up but of course anything deeper and there was the usual thing about national security. He was aware that the firm had been contracted by the Pentagon but at least he got the basics and maybe he could do a little bit of work to go deeper. It was cakewalk for him but he was wary since he wasn't sure about the firewalls and if he had a get out of jail pass.

"After cracking the encryption, we found this within the file," Tim was giving as he showed Gibbs what they had found.

Gibbs looked at the images of the notes and then at the diagram. He had no idea what it was since he was old school. He could use a computer but that didn't mean that he had to like using it. "What is it?"

Ray was still looking at his screen and repeated what he said earlier, "The next stage in warfare."

Gibbs looked at Ray who was still tapping keys and then at Tim who gave him a slight shrug. It took Gibbs a moment to realize that it could be related to what Ray was to be clean up for. Yet he made the statement in front of people that had not been brought into it. "What do you mean Ray?"

Ray turned to look at the three people looking at him. He had time to develop his response. There were going to be holes but that didn't matter right now. "Exactly what I mean," he replied. He paused a moment and continued, "It's state of the art nanotechnology. From the notes they are nanites and their function is to seek, infiltrate and destroy."

"So it's a weapon?"

"Yeap," Ray replied after making a slight face. "The idea is that they can be sent and used almost like a plague. Something like something I heard about using bugs to destroy crops or something." He made a slight frown as if trying to remember.

Gibbs caught the look and understood that Ray knew more but he was unsure of what to tell. He looked at Tim who was trying not to betray recognition of what his grandmother Penny had been involved with. "So we're talking about a bug?"

"More or less from my initial outlook," Ray replied. He swiveled to turn back to the computer and brought up some more screen. "I can see why Leland was contracted to develop this. They specialize in biotechnics, no duh, and that means technology that can work with things on a biological level. They have developed some of the latest developments in prosthetics focusing on robotics and connecting them to the mind."

Tim and Abby followed through. They could understand the technical aspects of this. It was Abby who said, "So this nanotechnology, these nanites, can function within an organism and do whatever it is programmed to do?"

"Best guess… yes," Ray replied. "It can be programmed to do anything like infuse vitamins to inducing a heartache or brain aneurism. Even possibly be a means of inducing chemical warfare but on a small scale… if they're tiny enough."

Gibbs studied what Ray pulled up. "Anything else on this file?"

"We managed to get into Rawlings' personal computer," Abby began as she pulled up what she found. "McGee managed to find a series of emails that had been going back and forth between Rawlings and Caldwell. Most of the content seems more like general chatter between friends but there are a few things that keep popping up."

Tim clicked a few keys to highlight what they had found. "We found that they were highly concerned about the work of the file named DZ-01425, the same name as the file that we cracked on Rawlings' computer."

Abby continued, "They kept talking about the demo tape and the code. It looks like babble but one thing keeps coming up. They keep talking about a setup; that they shouldn't have died. Well it was more on Rawlings' end. Caldwell was like trying to divert attention; that they should report their findings and shut up about it."

"But that was near the beginning, Boss," Tim said. "Near the end Caldwell seemed to have a change of heart. He started helping Rawlings and it looked like they agreed to bring it up with their superiors. In fact that last email transaction talked about calling someone named JJ Rook."

Ray didn't react but he had turned to listen to the presentation. He had been developing some ideas about what was going on. Some of it had him puzzled and in thought. What struck him odd was that they had his mission alias. He was JJ Rook; it was the name he was to give if he was stopped and used to avoid giving his crew a face or something like that. As far as he knew, his crew never called him by that after the op; they would use his call sign.

Ray did remember telling one person his alias and to use it if he was in trouble. The thing was the person he had told it to was dead. He saw them die and it was part of the evidence used against him. It got him busted. As far as he knew Dead Zone had been considered a failure and that nothing was retrieved. This though gave more questions than answers and they were answers that he had been restricted on giving. Trying to be still in the game, he asked, "Is there anything about this JJ Rook? Home, affiliation?"

Abby answered, "That's the thing. The name and a number were found on the card Rawlings had in a secret pocket on the lining of his jacket. There was nothing else. I ran the number first thing and I came up empty. It's not even a viable number."

Ray made a slight movement of his head, making sure that Gibbs caught it. He knew why the number wouldn't show up. It wasn't a phone number. He frowned and replied, "Could be something else."

"That's the thing. It doesn't match anything resembling something to contact with," Abby replied.

Gibbs looked at the emails and glanced at Ray. "What about things not related to communication?"

Tim replied, "We can try that Boss."

"Get to it McGee. Anything else Abbs?"

Abby picked up the shell casing and what was left of the bullet from Caldwell. "The casing is from a Remington bolt action rifle. The only thing I was able to find was an etching on the side of the casing." She brought up a magnification of the side of the casing.

Ray could make out the letters and numbers. "Psalm 3:3."

Gibbs looked at Ray and asked, "What?"

Ray explained, "Pslm is short for Psalms and the 3:3 refers to the verse. So it's Psalm 3:3." He gave another look in Gibbs' direction.

That was certainly more than what he had asked for in terms of evidence. Gibbs though was impressed at how much was uncovered and what Ray chose to say. He couldn't say anything more so he said, "Good work McGee." He gave Abby a kiss and headed towards the elevator.

Abby huffed a bit, "He didn't even thank you Raymie."

"Didn't need to Abbs."

* * *

**A/N:** Bonding moment between McGee, Abby and Ray and we learn something interesting. Seems like a failed op was successful after all. Maybe or maybe not. Stay tuned...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It was hitting around eight o' clock by the time Gibbs was ready to shoo his agents out. As much as he felt they had found a few leads, he knew that the holes were the ones that Ray could fill and he had noticed that his old probie was not even sure what to do. It was noticeable throughout the day in how meticulous Ray had been in terms of following the book and toeing the line but he did get a hint that Ray was willing to bend a few rules.

Ray had come to him as an undercover. At the time they met, Gibbs thought he was a rather stubborn Petty Officer when a murder occurred on the vessel that he was serving on. As it turned out their cases, one a drug and black market smuggling and the murder were connected. Gibbs remembered how they duked it out on the ship until Ray spluttered that he was NCIS.

It had been a confusing time and one that needed answers to questions but Gibbs got his info that the agent was NCIS and not only that did a few ops with a team. Ray had been evasive on that but Gibbs got a taste of his ability when the kid saved his life when they caught their man. Since then Gibbs pulled strings to get him on his team.

It was a testament to how much Ray trusted him when Gibbs was made privy to certain things that could be considered going against orders. Looking back Gibbs realized that it had taken a lot of courage for Ray to say anything about covert activities. He certainly had expressed dislike with spooks. Now they were like friends but Gibbs saw Ray more like a son. He had wanted to protect him when he had been busted but Ray said no and that as a team leader he had to take responsibility. It made Gibbs proud but also sad, not that he would ever admit it.

Gibbs found Ray sitting in his assigned chair in the bullpen tapping away at that laptop that Vance issued. Gibbs knew that it was a test and he knew that Ray had more pride than that and would do that computer thing he did in the blink of an eye. Knowing Ray, he would suspect that the laptop was being monitored and do things to make the techs wonder what he was doing. Gibbs watched him occasionally tap a key and then rapid type. The kid was like Tim. He said, "Working kind of late are you?"

"Only until the quitting time is sounded," Ray replied.

"Well it just did. Get out."

"Still got work to do. The whole thing with Leland has me bugged," Ray countered as he worked.

"I know with what but you've had a long day," Gibbs replied being overly generous.

"No rest for the weary, Boss," Ray replied. He glanced at his watch briefly. It wasn't even late but there was the fact that he had just arrived and then thrust back into the action. He was feeling tired but he wasn't going to admit it. He had worked longer hours in Vegas.

"And I'm giving you an order Skipper. Call it a night," Gibbs countered.

Ray looked up as if to challenge Gibbs. It probably would have sent his team back a few feet. "I'm fine Gibbs," he countered. "I just need to finish this. Ten minutes tops."

"It can wait."

"Not if it's the big guns," Ray countered as he made a slight motion with his head towards MTAC. "Just finishing a request."

Gibbs knew that Ray kept his word. He didn't want to let his law get pushed aside but he knew that Ray would get whatever he needed done and would head home. He relented, "Ten minutes and you're gone. If I find you've been here all night…"

"I know and a head slap won't do it," Ray replied giving a knowing grin. He sobered and added, "I'll call it a night when I'm finished in ten. Promise."

Gibbs gave a slight grin. "Semper Fi."

"Semper Fi," Ray replied, completing the ritual of making a promise and swearing to keep it. He watched Gibbs leave and then turned back to what he was looking at. He sighed as he continued to type in the required fields. He hadn't been lying when he said that he had been filling out a request but it wasn't technically to Vance but it was addressed to him all the same.

He had finished in five and had sent it when he shut down. He was about to get up from his chair when his cell phone rang. He checked the time and gave a slight smile. He flipped it open to answer it in his teasing voice, "Crime lab."

_Baba._

Ray chuckled and played their game, "Sorry there's no one by the name Baba here. Are you sure you have the right number?

_Don't tease me, Baba._

Ray knew that he couldn't keep it up all the way and relented, "Alright, you caught me habibitti. How was school today?"

_We started on Egypt in history today. We're gonna learn about mummies and the pyramids and even the Exodus._

Ray listened as his daughter continued to babble about her day. He teased her about her dangling participles in grammar and how she mixed up her spellings for two words that sounded the same. He encouraged her when she felt frustrated about fractions since they were multiplying and dividing. "Habibitti division is easy. It's like multiplication once you flip the second one over. Remember that rhyme I taught you?"

_Yes Baba. I'll try. Aunt Laura tries to help and so does Raymie. He makes it fun like you._

"That's good. Did you have your first team practice today?"

_Tomorrow. I have my uniform and I can't wait for you to see it._

"I can't wait either," Ray replied. He was looking at nothing in particular but he felt particularly bad that he wasn't going to be there. It had been hard with his assignment in Vegas but he made it happen. Of course he had help from Laura since she was the parent and he was all thumbs at first. Now he was a sort of pro and things were good even after the horrible circumstances that made things the way they were.

_Baba, how long are you going to be gone?_

Ray paused, not sure how to say it. He didn't want to make promises and break them. He had always tried to be honest in terms of what was happening. The more gruesome stuff he made it seem less than what it was. As Laura told him, it was all a part of good parenting. You did your best and taught them right from wrong and when they asked, you told the truth if you thought they could handle it.

_Baba?_

"I'm still here habibitti. I don't know how long I'll be here. I have to do something very important with Grandpa Gibbs. It can take a while but we can always talk and when I get it set up, you can talk to me on the computer. Okay?"

_You get to work with Grandpa Gibbs? Cool. Are you going to catch the bad guys like you do here?_

"We're gonna do our best. I'm gonna do my best because I want to be able to see you play your first game."

_It's okay Baba. Grandpa Gibbs needs you. I'll work hard and remember what you said about math._

"Okay. I'll talk to you tomorrow night and that is after you finish your homework and do your chores. Okay?"

_Okay. Oh Baba?"_

Ray was about to hang up when he heard his daughter's voice call for him. He put the phone back to his ear and replied, "Yes?"

_Can you sing our song?_

"Now?"

_Aunt Laura says it's bedtime but it's not. You have to sing our song. Please?_

Ray smiled. He looked around to find that the place was deserted. He failed to notice that there was one person who had come from the restroom and had been listening to the whole conversation. He replied, "Alright. Are you in bed?"

_Yes Baba._

Ray cleared his throat slightly and began to sing. It was a Hebrew lullaby that his mother used to sing. Even though both his parents had Arab descent, his mother had a Jewish friend and learned the song from her. She sung it to him and his brother and he remembered it after his mother coached and scolded him so he could sing it for Raymie when he was born.

It was easy to learn since Arabic and Hebrew were from the same language family and he had been speaking Arabic to talk to his relatives since he was a kid. It was the only thing that calmed his daughter down when they first met and she was scared. She had clung to him like a magnet and she became his responsibility throughout the entire case and ultimately he ended up being the designated guardian.

Ray continued the song from start to finish. When he was done, he paused a moment. He didn't say anything.

_'night Baba. I love you._

Ray replied softly, "I love you too habibitti." He waited until she hung up and he flipped his phone shut and held it in his hand.

"You have a nice voice."

Ray turned in the direction of the voice to see Ziva standing there. He glanced around to see if there were to be any more surprises. "Thought everyone had left," he countered. He flipped the laptop shut and put it on Tim's desk. "What are you hanging around for?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Ziva countered feeling like she was defending herself. However he had asked her more out of curiosity in his tone. She lightened the glare in her features as she looked at the man who looked at her with a face that said nothing.

"Just finishing some paperwork," Ray replied, aware that he may have struck a nerve. "I just expected everyone to bolt the second Big Dog gave the go." He shrugged his shoulders and stood up to stretch his back. He was careful since his shoulder still throbbed and he had a none too subtle message from Ducky through a little messenger bird.

"Big Dog?"

"Private nickname for the Boss," Ray offered. He studied Ziva as he had been all day when he wasn't in a powwow with Abby and Tim. The thoughts that invaded his head were more along the lines that they should be whipped into shape. It was intriguing but at the same time it contributed to the anxiety he already had about this case. "It's something I'm allowed to do… more or less."

"I kind of figured that when you two… hugged," Ziva replied, hesitating at what to call it.

Ray gave a slight chuckle. "We go back a long way. Old habits die hard." He paused, not sure what to say next and feeling very awkward. _Jo I blame you for pointing out my social inadequacies._ "Well, I better be going. I swore I would be out of here and I have two minutes." It was bad and he knew it but he couldn't figure out what to say. He checked his pockets to make sure he had everything before moving away from his chair.

Ziva thought he was being more like Tim when he was nervous and frowned slightly. She was the one who had been tongue tied when he explained himself and in an honest manner. An idea came to her and she said, "Wait."

It was a surprise when he actually turned around and gave her his full attention. She almost lost her courage at the moment when she caught his brownish-red eyes giving her full consideration. She recovered and asked, "Do you want to go out for something to eat?"

* * *

"Thanks."

Ziva looked up from the plate of pasta that Ray suggested she try and replied, "What?" Immediately she felt like an idiot since she didn't think it to be the most eloquent thing she had ever said and she had been on dates before.

Ray studied Ziva's reaction. He had begun piecing a few things together while they rode in her car to the bistro he suggested. She had been surprised but accepting of his carry on that he had stashed in Tony's area, out of sight and out of mind. Her reflexes were fast and once she said something in Hebrew which had him raise his eyebrow a bit when she cursed a driver. He rather liked her fast driving and actually relaxed on the way to the bistro. He repeated, "Thanks." He then explained, "For being welcoming."

Ziva toyed with her fork a bit before replying, "You act like you did not expect it."

Ray picked a piece of beef that was left on his plate. "I didn't. I did expect Gibbs and Abbs. Truth is I expected the worst."

"Any reason why?"

Ray shrugged, "I screwed up and paid the price. Some people follow scuttlebutt and others have long memories." He reached for the glass of water he had ordered. "I did my time and now just doing the job."

"But far away from your family? Your daughter?"

"I follow orders… well most of the time," Ray replied since he just admitted he screwed up. "I came because I was more or less requested. It wasn't easy but Nila understands."

"Nila?"

"My daughter," Ray replied as he fished out his wallet. He paid for their meal out of force of habit. He stood up and let Ziva pass him on the way out. He put his hands in his pocket until he noticed a couple of guys eyeing Ziva like she was a piece of meat. He took one hand and gently pressed on her back to urge her out.

Ziva felt the pressure and didn't make a scene. She had seen the guys looking at her. She had enough sense to know that Ray was only watching out for her. She did notice though that they backed down considerably, unaware of the dangerous look that Ray had sent their way. Yet his touch was gentle and she actually liked it. She didn't say anything until they were outside, "I guess you showed them."

Ray muttered something in Arabic as he adjusted his coat. He mellowed out and replied, "Maybe."

Ziva heard every word and knew exactly what he said. She wasn't going to press on it and changed topics. "That lullaby you were singing, where did you learn it?" It was bold but she tucked her arm under his and tugged him to start walking. They didn't have to go back to the car just yet.

Ray followed Ziva's lead and allowed himself to be tugged along. He wasn't a rude sort and a walk sounded good since he was still miffed. He focused on what Ziva was asking him and replied, "My mother. Her best friend was Jewish and they taught each other things. Mom decided to pass it on. I sing it for Nila. It was the only way to calm her down when… when she first came to live with me."

"Bad separation?"

"Not married," Ray replied trying to hide the smirk and failed. "I am socially inadequate."

"So you adopted her." Ziva glanced at Ray who was looking ahead to keep from running into anything.

"After her family changed their minds." Ray knew he was going to have to go into detail. He could just leave the conversation since he never really talked about it. He glanced at Ziva and could tell that the question was on the tip of her tongue. He explained, "Her family decided to let me continue to be her guardian and eventually adopt her."

Ziva sensed that there was a story to that. "You want to talk about it?"

"I usually don't. It was horrible enough for her to go through and I decided that it was best not to discuss it unless she happened to hear something and asked me about it," Ray replied. He paused a moment and then continued, "It was horrible because she saw her parents and older brother killed right in front of her."

"That is horrible."

"It was a hate crime because her family were Arab Christians and in the middle of a Muslim neighborhood. Father was dead. Mother and brother were thought to be dead until she scared the crap out of me by breathing and begging for help." Ray realized that they had walked a bit away. He stopped to overlook the park that was nearby. He sighed, "I didn't see the father or the writing on the wall because I found Nila while trying to help the mother and brother."

"She was hiding?" Ziva didn't know what else to say as she looked at the park. She looked at Ray who was surveying it as if he were trying to imagine it in the day with people and children.

"Yes," Ray replied as he looked at Ziva. "She screamed at everyone until I talked to her in Arabic. I gave my name and she… grabbed me like Abby would. I didn't know her but she trusted me." He gave a slight hum of a laugh. "I stayed with her during the investigation or she stayed with me. I figured out why she was clingy to me when I realized who her father was and that was before he converted."

Ziva could guess at that. They had been enemies and they had met at some point and something happened. "You met and something happened."

"It was a long time ago. He could've killed me but he didn't. Something I said convinced him and he made a provision in his will that if something happened to him and his wife, the kids were to go to me. I had no idea why me but I could understand why the precautions. His conversion pissed his family off and then there were the extremists in that neighborhood."

"It was only a matter of time," Ziva finished. "But why would he stay there?"

Ray shrugged his shoulders. "No idea but I ended up being the temporary guardian of Nila and then came the legal battle. Usually the courts decide in the best interest of the child but the family had a claim to her. I would have fought but Nila suffered enough."

"You were willing to let her go to spare her the pain." Ziva studied Ray as he looked out at the night sky.

"It was the right thing. I don't know what happened but the matriarch gave the order. They would let me keep her. They saw her interact with me even though they were staring daggers at me and I guess she felt like I did. I don't regret it."

"I could tell. You love her very much."

"Never thought I'd be a parent first but I find it rewarding."

Ziva left the conversation at that. It was a good thing too since Ray started moving again to head back to the car. She had heard the whispers from people and there were Tony's comments. It didn't take much to figure out that whatever happened long ago followed him back here and it didn't make people happy. She wasn't going to pry since she had done things that were unspeakable.

"You don't have to try so hard Ziva. I rarely speak of it to anyone and when I do, I babble," Ray cut into her thoughts.

Ziva realized that Ray had gotten her back to the restaurant in the distance they had been walking in silence. Listening to what he said she replied, "You do not babble. You shared something personal and I really had no right to pry."

"You asked and I answered. That was my choice," Ray replied locking his gaze on hers. He took in her expression and was aware that he may have made things awkward.

Before Ziva could reply they heard, "So you plan on getting some?"

They both turned their heads to see the two that had been eyeing Ziva and they were joined by a couple of friends. Ray pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. He didn't want to pick a fight but he wouldn't allow that kind of talk. He replied, "Guys, you should call it a night."

"You trying to order us around?"

Ray made a slight move to put himself between them and Ziva. He stood firm and gave the same look he gave in the bistro but it softened as he replied, "Just telling you that it's late and the lady and I would like to go." He turned to go and motioned Ziva to go.

Ray felt the hand on his shoulder and was yanked back around. "You'll go when I tell you to."

Ray looked at the offending hand and then at the offender. "Don't do that please."

Ziva looked at Ray and then the guys. She would have taken them on but Ray stepped in and motioned for her to get away. She wasn't going to leave a partner behind though but she stepped back. She could tell that it was a bad move when the leader gave a mock pat on Ray's cheek. What happened next was inevitable.

Ray had grabbed the offending hand and applied pressure making the guy start heading for the ground. Ray finished it by making it seem like the guy's own hand hit him and the guy was down. That started the others coming in with swings.

Ray ducked and grabbed the guy and used him like a shield as he delivered a couple of kicks to two of them. One grabbed him and said something in his ear and he gave a head butt. Of course they got in a couple of hits but they weren't hard and they got what was coming to them. That was three down and two left. They were looking at him, not sure of what to do. Tentatively they raised their hands and Ray asked, "Seriously? You really want to get involved?"

The two seemed to think better of it and took off running. Ray watched them take off and turned. He was met with a punch to the head but he recovered quickly and gave a knee and shoved the guy away. The others that were writhing on the ground started scampering away. Ray gave one a boot in the rear for good measure as he rubbed his jaw. He had heard what had been said in his ear and this was no random encounter.

He couldn't do anything about it at the moment but he knew what the message was about. His regret was that he had to blow off Ziva. He was lousy in the excuse department since he had his fair share of breakups before over work. He had to think about it so he continued to rub his jaw even though it was a dull throb now and took a couple of breaths. He turned to look at Ziva and said, "Well I guess that qualifies as a ruined evening."

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like a bonding moment between Ray and Ziva. Nice little fluff. Stay tuned for more.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The sun shone through the window's blinds causing a gentle light. It hit Ziva and warmed her face causing her to wake up. She opened her eyes to find that she was in a bed that wasn't hers that was in an apartment that wasn't hers. It caused her to open her eyes wider as she sat up to contemplate how she got there and where she was.

There was a noise coming from outside the room and obeying the impulse and training, she got out of the bed and crept to the door to look around. It was a relief that she was in the clothes that she had worn yesterday and that meant that nothing hinky went on. She opened the door and was greeted to a living area that spoke quietly of money.

The furniture was richly upholstered but it was obvious that they were used. Ziva could tell by the blanket that had been folded and placed on the seat. She quietly acknowledged it as she looked up when more noise came through. Looking up, she could see that it was coming from the kitchen and she followed it. She put a hand on the door frame and peered around.

There was no one that she could see so she ventured further in. Her nose caught a few familiar scents and she edged closer. She almost jumped when she heard, "Sleep well?"

Turning, she saw Ray holding a bag of pita and standing in what was a huge pantry. She took a breath and replied, "As well as I could. What are you doing?"

Ray raised his brow in a slight confused frown. "I believe breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. Just trying to do right in terms of health." He motioned towards the counter. "You hungry?"

Ziva watched as the man walked over to the stove. She sat at the counter and watched as he dished up. The food choices surprised her; it was like he made a serious attempt to be proper kosher. "Hummus?"

"Good for you," he replied as he dabbed his finger to taste test. "Perfect." He turned his attention to plating. He served Ziva first and then himself.

Ziva looked at what he served and then glanced at the stove that managed to stay pristine. As if her were reading her thoughts, Ray said, "Neat freak. " He speared a bit of his eggs and took a bite. "I like a clean area even if the project is a big mess."

Ziva said nothing but tried the eggs and the lean meat he had made to go with the hummus. It was really good. It was more of a companionable silence as they ate. Ziva offered to help but Ray refused politely stating that she should go if she wanted to get ready for the office. She felt a bit hurt by him shooing her out but she got his point. She was at the door when she said, "By the way, the evening wasn't ruined."

Ray leaned against the door jam and replied, "I guess I haven't lost my touch." He gave a slight smile as he watched her leave. "I'll see you at the Yard."

When she was gone, Ray rubbed his head and shut the door. In his mind he felt that it had been a bit of a mistake to bring her back to the apartment. He could have easily walked at the first place he suggested she drop him off. It was old habit and he really didn't want to go down a road that he had taken before and it terrified him.

Ziva was persistent though. She demanded that he give up his place since he opened his big mouth and said that he didn't have a hotel room. She also said that he had a couple of hard hits to the head and they should be looked at even if he was stubborn about going to a clinic. So he directed her to the apartment.

With her being there, it didn't give him the opportunity to check on something that was worthy of the working late thing. Ziva checked out his head and made sure that he didn't need stitches. After that, he couldn't well just kick her out; not after her generosity in patching him up. So he played host and offered a drink. They talked and she fell asleep. Being the gentleman, he put her in his room and too the couch after trying to get a few things done.

Now that he was alone and had some time before he had to report back into the office, he could dig deeper. He pulled out his personal laptop and put it in the roll top desk and locked it up. He would set up the vid link later. He then pulled out a smaller one and cracked it open. He sat at the counter and recalled what happened the night before.

It was no accident. That much was clear. They had been picked and paid to jump him and deliver a message. The nature of the message was clear. Ray keyed in a password and stared at the screen that had the IM up. It had been a long time since he used that handle and he had told the truth when he told Sec Nav that he hadn't been in contact with his old teammates. Now he was going to break that but this was serious.

_The edge of the map contains what you and everyone will fear and it isn't nuclear war._

It was a simple statement but Ray knew that they carried a lot. It referenced to Dead Zone and what the whole mission was about. The only ones who knew were the brass in charge and the team as well as… He looked down and at the screen. He typed, _Birdie in the nest._

_Couldn't resist could you Jay Bird?_

Ray narrowed his eyes at the screen. The manner it was written sent his senses on the alert. He had to play it cool though. He typed, _A hawk has been circling. Looking for prey._

_The nature of things. A cornered animal will break after being beaten. You know this._

Ray rubbed his chin. He studied the screen. He couldn't make a determination at what he was getting. His gut was telling him though to play it safe; that he should let the other side make the first move and then he would be able to tell if his nest was shrinking. _Scuttlebutt on more than one._

_ You're better than that Jay Bird. You know the first rule on the team._

Ray didn't want to show more of his hand, which was near zilch. He knew that to reveal your hand before you were ready could tip the scales against you. He chewed his lip as he looked at the clock. He didn't have much time if he was to get to the office on time. It was a judgment call and that ball was in his court. He replied, _DZ may be active again._

_Don't be stupid. You got burned and we were spared but you know how that went. Nothing survived. NOTHING._

The adamancy of the response said something but Ray wasn't going to buy it completely. He had two confirmed and one possible third that killed a Navy lieutenant and a Marine corporal and there was the high probability that Dead Zone hadn't been a total failure after all. He was being put under some heavy pressure.

_Other birds have been talking. Saying that it was poachers._

That perked Ray's interest. _Poachers?_

_ Just talk. Mostly it was about something about making a lot of green. Whippoorwill mentioned a new bug._

That was what he figured. Ray didn't have the proof though but he knew at least one team member was in on it. It was one that he had seen in the pictures. This was bad since he knew them. He wondered if it was Whippoorwill that had been in the sedan. Either way he knew he was going to have to be on the lookout. He had to make sure his new team was not in the sights. The day started to look a bit foreboding.

Looking at the response, Ray made a decision and typed rapidly his response. He logged out as soon as he finished and snapped the laptop shut. He had some work to do. He muttered a phrase under his breath and went to work.

* * *

"How did you know?"

Ray gave a slight shrug and replied, "Psychic intuition." He cast a glance at Ziva and Time gave a slight wink. He turned his attention towards Tony to watch as he tasted the coffee he had brought.

Tony gave a suspicious look. "I can see McGeek believing in that but…"

"Take it as you will DiNozzo. Just offering the olive branch here," Ray replied. He then leaned in close and whispered, "I won't tell Kate though fish do talk."

It was funny as Ray walked to his assigned chair. He sat down and took a sip of his coffee. His bag was still hanging around his shoulders. He liked the side bags better than backpacks and it was cushioned for his laptop.

Tony looked at Ray like he was a suspect. He took a sip of his coffee more in defiance. It wasn't tainted or anything like that.

"Actually all I had to do was ask. The barista was very helpful," Ray finished. He noticed that Ziva and Tim were trying hard not to laugh.

Tony looked at Ray and walked up towards him. It looked like it was going to be a standoff but Ray just sat in his seat. After about a minute Tony then said, "You forgot the nutmeg."

Ray gave a nod. There was some understanding between them but not complete trust. That kind of thing didn't happen overnight especially with someone that was a good agent. "Will do better next time."

Tony gave a nod and went back to his desk to work on what he was looking for. He watched as Tim and Ray looked at what Tim was working on. They looked like two peas in a pod as they discussed their geek speak.

"What have ya got?" Gibbs rounded the corner and was greeted with a cup of coffee from Ray.

Tim pulled up his findings on the plasma, "Abby managed to get a print off the casing that killed Caldwell. Print points to a Pierce Laurent. Has a rap sheet of violent robberies, mostly small time. He was just released two weeks ago. No known associates."

"Looks like he graduated to murder," Gibbs said. "Got an address?"

"Yeah. Listed under a girlfriend's address. Got it here," Tim replied as he wrote the address.

"Get on it McGee."

"Right away Boss."

"Take Ray. Tony, Ziva, follow up at Leland Biotechnics. Secure the demo tape that was stated in the emails."

Ray took off his bag and stashed it behind Tim's desk after pulling out the iPhone that he acquired recently. He slipped it into his jacket pocket and got up. Gibbs tossed the keys at him which he deftly caught. As they were walking, Ray tossed them over his shoulder, "McGee, you drive."

The drive was not very entertaining but then again Ray had the ability to appreciate things people took for granted. He pulled his iPhone out and put the headphones in his ears and scrolled to find what he needed.

"Seriously?" Tim glanced over as he watched his partner put headphones in.

Ray chuckled and replied, "Relax Tim. It's an audio file on the eye witness statements." It was not a complete lie since it was an audio file of eyewitness statements but not related to the current investigation. His morning conversation had him thinking. He was lucky that Vance was willing and able to give him something related to Dead Zone. It was sheer luck that it was the audio files to the Q&A the team went through; rather more like an interrogation. "Don't worry Tim. I'm on the case. I just have a different way of looking at things."

"Oh. That's why you had me drive?"

"I don't like to drive," Ray replied. He adjusted the volume to listen while he looked out the window in thought.

~0~0~

The apartment complex looked like the projects in most major cities. Ray scrutinized the building and the surrounding area. They really looked out of place since Tim was dressed his shirt and slacks. He was a little bit better with the jeans and blazer getup but anyone with a brain could tell that they were cops. He tapped his Sig out of habit and for luck before getting out of the car.

Tim kept in step with Ray as they approached the main entrance. "Seems like a good place to hide."

"Or be a freeloader," Ray replied. "Laurent could be just using her. Either way he might be the guy that killed our lieutenant." He headed up the stairs with one hand on his weapon and looking warily around.

They found the apartment and Tim knocked, "NCIS, open up."

They were standing on either side of the door when the response came. It was in the form of a shot through the door. The guns were out and ready to go when Ray kicked the door in. He pointed his gun in and called, "Federal agents!"

There was some noise and they headed towards it, each clearing the room. The girlfriend was huddled and screaming as they went by. They caught a glimpse of the guy heading for the window. Ray took the lead and headed out to follow. He was blindsided by a second suspect and rammed into the nearby wall. He grunted and threw the guy off. "McGee, go."

Tim obeyed and followed the escaping suspect out of the apartment. He approached the staircase carefully and was greeted with a gunshot. It hit the rail and Tim took cover. He had his gun pointed and was ready to fire back but the angle was bad. He continued to head up the stairs and towards the roof.

Meanwhile Ray took the ram and felt like he had been body slammed into the wall. He brought his fists down to slam on the back of the guy that jumped him. It gave him enough time to jump away and prepare for the next attack. He used the momentum of the guy against him and got him down on the ground. It took a couple of hits on both sides but he managed to get the guy down. He fished out the cuffs and dragged the guy into the apartment.

The girlfriend was screeching her head off, "He didn't do anything!"

Ray glared at her and dragged his man into the room where the radiator was. It was better than nothing and it was iron. He handcuffed the guy to the radiator just as the girlfriend tried to hit him with a skillet. He caught it and managed to get out of the way. He wasn't going to fight her and made his way out while calling for assistance. He followed the path Tim had taken.

Tim had been on rooftops before and had experienced that panic heights could induce. The adrenaline was up however and he was in pursuit of the suspect. He rounded a corner and ducked behind a unit when a shot was fired. "NCIS Laurent!"

The response was a shot. Tim stayed behind his cover until he peeked around. He saw Laurent running. He followed holding his gun up, prepared to fire if necessary. They were no longer on the apartment complex but on the adjacent structure. Tim came to the edge and leapt down as he followed the suspect around the corner.

There was no one in sight. It put Tim on the alert. He looked around, realizing that he was alone. It was not a good thing but he was going to have to do his best to not get into trouble. He wasn't to get that wish when he rounded a corner to get his arms hit with a piece of wood.

It wasn't crippling but it did hurt and forced Tim to drop his gun. He reacted quickly when he saw Laurent reach for his gun. He rammed the guy and managed to knock the weapon out of reach. It was not a nice and clean fight since the suspect countered by giving an elbow to Tim's gut. It made Tim back up enough and Laurent went for his weapon.

Tim jumped on Laurent and knocked his weapon away. He got a second elbow right under the ribs. He held on though and gave a couple of blows to Laurent's gut. Somehow they managed to get back to their feet and they struggled. At one point Tim found himself rammed into a wall or a pipe and almost let go even though he got a punch across the jaw. It was enough and he was showed aside.

Laurent managed to get away and found his gun. He had it ready to shoot when Tim shoved the gun hand up. A shot rang out but Tim held onto the hand to prevent Laurent from leveling and firing. Tim managed to slam the hand into the wall but Laurent wasn't willing to let go and it ended up being a dance of life and death and some more shots went off.

At that moment Ray made his way up the stairs with his gun drawn. He had heard the initial shot and quickened his pace. Tim was up there alone and could be in trouble. When additional shots were fired, he sprinted up the stairs and onto the roof. He followed the direction that the shots were coming from and found that they led to the next building. The guy was trying to run on rooftops.

He kept it up and managed to catch up to where Tim was trying to hold the guy off. As soon as he saw the suspect, his eyes had widened in recognition. Laurent was one of the guys that attacked him the night before. Ray raised his weapon and took aim. It was tempting to kill but they needed him alive; he needed him alive if only for some answers. He tried hard even though Tim was struggling against the chokehold he was now in.

Ray was about to pull the trigger when a series of shots rang out. Some were aimed at him and he ducked to avoid getting hit. One of the bullets hit the wall and debris sprayed in his face. He squinted but he managed to see shots that sparked around Laurent and Tim. It was instant and Ray saw Tim go over the edge.

It was incredibly stupid but Ray came out and fired in the direction the shots came from. He managed to wound Laurent in the leg but the shooter that fired, shot again. Ray ducked before turning and was going to fire when he caught sight of the shooter. Ray almost lowered his weapon and that would have given the shooter ample opportunity to shoot him.

That didn't happen though. The shooter stood up and looked at Ray. He gave a smirk and a taunting wave before turning around and ran. Ray brought his weapon up and was prepared to shoot. He could hit him at that distance. His lip quivered as he grit his teeth.

"Ray!"

Ray snapped out of it and went to where he saw Tim go over. When he peered over, he could almost whoop for joy. Tim had managed to grab piping and hang on. He did have a few things going against him and one of them was gravity. Ray looked up to see the shooter gone. Laurent was writhing on the ground in pain and hardly a threat so Ray holstered his weapon and leaned over. He extended his hand to try and grasp Tim's hand. "Come on Tim. Give me your hand."

Tim held onto the piping with both hands. He saw Ray's hand extend towards him and tried to reach for the hand. There was distance between their hands; their fingertips barely brushed. "I can't reach."

At that moment there was a creaking sound. Tim looked up at the piping and saw that the fixture on the wall was coming loose. Ray saw it too and stretched. "Come on. Reach." His fingers curled to grasp Tim's fingers.

The creaking increased and the bolts jiggled loose. Tim tried to pull himself up to grab Ray's hand. Each time he pulled himself up the piping became looser and looser. He couldn't even get a good grip on Ray's hand. Then without warning, the loose end fell out of the wall and the pipe fell down. Time thought he was going to die. He fell but was stopped.

Ray saw that the piping was giving away faster than he liked. He tried stretching further and further but the loose pipe kept pulling Tim further away from him. It was an instant reaction and Ray flung himself over. He had noticed the fire escape nearby and it was a lot better than the piping. He grabbed it at the same time he grabbed Tim by the wrist.

The weight was sudden and it caused his injured shoulder blade to throb. He didn't let go though and held onto his partner. He looked down to see Tim struggling and trying not to do anything to jeopardize his position. Ray looked up at his grip on the fire escape. He could swing Tim onto the escape and they could climb back up.

"Ray!"

Ray looked down. He had a firm grip on Tim's wrist. He wasn't letting go even though his shoulder was throbbing. "Tim. Tim! HEY!"

Tim stopped what he was doing and looked up. He found Ray looking down at him. He noticed the firm grip on his wrist and countered by grabbing Ray's wrist. "Ray, we're going."

"Listen," Ray countered, "I've got you and I won't let go. You're gonna have to pull yourself up so you can get to the fire escape. See it?"

Tim looked and spotted it. He looked back up and nodded, "Yeah." He started pulling himself up and saw that Ray was helping him up. His free hand grabbed Ray's leg and it helped to pull him up to be able to reach the bar to the escape.

"Nice and easy. Doing good partner," Ray said as he swayed to get Tim closer.

It was relief when Tim let go and called, "I'm good."

Ray sighed as he reached up to grab where he had grabbed and adjusted his position. He finally managed to get to the escape and landed on the balcony portion with a thud. He slid down to sit next to Tim who was breathing a bit heavily. "You okay?"

Tim nodded, "I'm good. Thanks."

"No problem, partner," Ray replied as he sighed. He looked up and made a slight sound. He stood up as soon as he heard the sirens. "Now back up decides to arrive." He held out his hand to help Tim up.

Tim couldn't help but chuckle. It had been a serious business but he was okay and so was Ray. He took the proffered hand and stood up. He let Ray begin the climb back up to the roof where they found Laurent still lying there. Tim fished out his cuffs and looked at Ray, "You got your guy?"

"He's having fun with the radiator," Ray replied as he helped Tim haul Laurent up.

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like things are thickening with their suspect. Who is the shooter that ultimately saved Tim somewhat? Stay tuned for more...


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"What do you have?"

It was direct even for Sec Nav Jarvis and Ray took in the stern look with ease. He knew that there was no time to dink around. He replied, "I think this case has ties to Dead Zone. Most of it is what Rawlings and Caldwell worked on and a series of emails. Plus there was the fact that at least one member of the old team is interested in it."

"You're certain?"

"I put some feelers out there," Ray allowed. "Haven't heard much but I suspect that at least Rawlings had contact with someone associated with Dead Zone and didn't even know it."

"Do you know who?"

"No sir." Ray paused a moment. It was like conduct unbecoming to accuse Sec Nav of something that was too high profile. "Sir, what did happen after the boat came for us?"

"Why do you ask?" Jarvis looked at Ray with a piercing glance, wondering where this was going. It was getting close to that idea that the agent in front of him was getting too close to what happened. He didn't like it any more than Director Vance did in regards to what happened under a predecessor since it was obvious that the agent before him was no traitor but it had to be treated carefully.

"Leland's pet project for the Pentagon," Ray replied. He chose his words carefully since he was certain that some things were probably not to have fallen on his lap then. He had no one to blame but his own curiosity and the need to know so to better protect what he was extracting.

"As far as I know Leland has strict closure on that due to national security and as if today basic information was courteously given to NCIS," Jarvis replied, "So unless you have something more to add to that or you've been doing things that will add to a one way ticket back to your assignment."

There was the warning and Ray got it crystal clear. "Like I said notes and emails. We couldn't make heads or tails of it but the tone just had me thinking." He paused to gauge the face before him. When it was clear that his head wasn't to be bitten off, he continued, "The third shooter was associated with Dead Zone. I couldn't tell who it was but he gave the hand signal we used for the team. Sire I think the Pentagon's pet project is the target of a robbery and DZ operatives may be the ones doing it."

It had been a bold statement but there was no way else to say it. Ray had listened to the audio interviews and while the content was mostly a report on what happened, he had been looking for clues to something else. He knew at least two from the pictures were involved and then there was a third and, not to mention, that Laurent was the one who led the crew that tried to jump him the night before. The jumping though had him wondering.

Jarvis looked at the agent looking at him with a firm stance. "We know that there is a deal to be made. Your job is to solve the case, put a murderer behind bars and cover up anything related to Dead Zone."

"You're asking me to compromise evidence in a murder investigation," Ray pointed out.

"National security is at stake. Do your job Agent Salazaar."

The screen went blank and Ray did a slow blink before looking to his right. It was a war within. He believed in justice and wanted to see it done. A Marine and a sailor were killed and over something that was related to something he was a part of; something that they had discovered and were trying to make right. Sec Nav wanted him to cover it up; technically it was to remove evidence related to it and it was in the interest of national security.

"As far as I'm concerned you are doing your job," Vance's voice cut in. "You've identified serious players in this deal for whatever it is they are after."

Ray sighed, releasing the tension that had been present ever since he walked into MTAC alone. Gibbs was not allowed in and he could tell that it pissed the big dog off. He replied, "Yeah and we once served together. Betrayal's not an easy thing to swallow, Director." He shuffled on his feet slightly and added, "So am I in trouble? I nearly got McGee killed."

"No," Vance replied. He had watched this agent work the moment he stepped in the Navy Yard. He knew Gibbs was right in that he had a trump card in play by bringing him back. "From my understanding, Agent McGee is fine and that you were the one that saved him."

"He's a teammate," Ray replied with a nod. "Rule number one."

Vance gave a slight chuckle at the agent's reference to one of Gibbs' rules. "So what do you intend to do?" It was a simple question and he could tell that the wheels were starting to turn. Ray was one of Gibbs' kids.

"Gibbs' case. What he says, goes," Ray replied as he headed towards the door. He paused when he heard Vance say something. He turned and asked, "What?"

"Rule 38," Vance repeated. He gave a slight nod to indicate that Ray had free reign. He couldn't say it officially but he knew that Ray would make the right call.

Ray thought about it for a moment and gave a slight nod. That didn't mean that he was going to follow it... not yet at least. He remembered rule four well. If you had a secret, it was best to keep it to yourself. Second best was to tell one person if you needed help. He could he admit he might need help on this but he didn't want to involve anyone though that point was moot since a shot was already taken at Tim.

Gibbs was waiting in that stoic manner of his outside of MTAC. Ray could have sworn that he was like a guard dog waiting for the bad guy to make the first move. He knew the look wasn't directed at him; Gibbs would tear anyone apart if they messed with his people. He said, "Cake walk, Gibbs."

"Your face says otherwise Skipper," Gibbs replied as he led the way back down to the bullpen. "Sec Nav on your case?"

"Just reminding me what I am supposed to do."

"Still not talking I see," Gibbs replied as he started down the stairs.

"Rule four," Ray replied. He felt a pang of regret for reminding Gibbs of that rule. He wanted to tell someone but at the moment, he just couldn't. He learned the hard way that if you didn't keep your mouth shut, you were in danger of screwing the pooch.

Gibbs made a slight motion with his head. "You know I'm here."

"Read ya loud and clear." Ray looked in Gibbs' direction. At that moment Ziva crossed his line of vision. She was heading back to her work station with some sort of file folder. It was probably related to what she and Tony dug up at Leland. "Just doing what I do best."

"Don't play martyr." Gibbs had noticed the slight diversion from Ray. He wasn't going to say anything since it was a look and nothing more. Besides he knew that Ray had enough sense when it came to the personal and the work. "Laurent's partner is in interrogation. Heading down there now. You want in?"

"Only if I get to watch." Ray gave a slight smile. He had his fair share of interrogations under his belt. Gibbs was a master and he was sure that the rest of the team liked to watch. It wasn't that they weren't capable; every time Gibbs conducted an interview, they got to learn something new and appreciate the skills involved.

"You know the drill."

"On your six, Boss."

* * *

The other side of the glass was always the place to be if you wanted a good show of a good interrogation. Ray could grill them like Gibbs could but he preferred to be on the other side. From experience he found that watching the person being questioned gave just as good information as good or bad their answers were. At the current moment, he was watching Gibbs go about his routine with the suspect who was named Baker. Tony and Ziva were chattering about what the suspect knew.

"McGee should be here," Ziva was saying.

"He's looking at the demo tape and the notes on Rawlings' computer."

Ray was observing with a hand supporting his chin. Occasionally his finger rubbed across it as he watched. He heard their conversation and said, "McGee deserves a break. He did good today."

"Was that before or after you let him take off?"

"Tony,"Ziva hissed. That had been uncalled for in her opinion. If Tim and Ray hadn't separated, they would have lost Laurent. Tim was okay and even he said that he was.

Ray glanced at the pair for a moment and then turned back to the interrogation. As it were Baker was just an associate of Laurent's. Ray though knew there was more to it. Gibbs just wasn't asking the right questions. He could just tell Gibbs that he was part of the guys that jumped him but then that would be explaining why there was a problem and that would drag in Ziva… Finally he said, "He did his job."

Gibbs was asking questions and talking to the suspect. It distracted Tony from saying anything. Ray listened to the responses while studying Baker. On the spot observation told him that Baker was small time, probably no higher than high school, maybe dropout and that he was probably from what they called redneck or white trash. Watching him, Ray picked out intelligence but in that cunning way that people who lived a life of looking out for number one had. This guy and Laurent and the others were picked for a reason. He continued to watch.

Then Baker said something but it was the movement that Ray noticed. It was subtle and would have probably been missed. It was unmistakable though. To the untrained eye it would have looked like a subtle hand gesture that didn't meant anything. Ray considered that it was paranoia setting in but he knew what that signal actually meant and the meaning was clear.

Ray didn't bother to hear more but actually abruptly left. Ziva frowned as he left wondering what he was doing. Tony watched with suspicion. "Doesn't he know never to interrupt Gibbs when he's interrogating?"

"I don't think he's going to interrupt," Ziva replied. Her gut was telling her that there was more to this case than what was being told and part of that puzzle was Ray. The surprising thing was that she wasn't angry but concerned that Ray was in the middle of something and he couldn't say anything.

* * *

Bethesda was one of the best trauma centers in town. When Dearing blew up NCIS, the unit housed many people that had been injured and did an astounding job in treating the wounded. It was even the best place to treat suspects.

Ray passed through the halls without much notice after he flashed his badge. He was there on business… just not NCIS business. Well technically yes he was but that was a mess of complications that wasn't really going to make things clear. He knew which room Laurent was in since he phoned in on the way to the hospital at a speed that would make Gibbs proud. It was a wonder he wasn't stopped because of it.

The room was guarded by an agent per procedure since Laurent did receive a gunshot wound and while Gibbs would have hauled him to interrogation at the Yard without being treated, he was the nicer guy and called it in. Gibbs didn't fault him for it so there was no problem. The trick was to get the agent at the door to step away.

When he arrived, he showed his badge and told the agent that he didn't need to stick around. That was a big no-no but Ray laid on the charm stating that he would take the heat for it. The agent agreed to close the door but not budge and that was better than nothing. So Ray walked in, pausing to take in the suspect whose prints had been on the casing and who jumped him. He took a look at the bandage on the leg. According to the doctor, the guy would be fine.

Laurent was scowling since he was handcuffed to the bed when he looked up. He recognized the guy right away and grinned. He said, "You want to play fair this time?"

Ray walked fully in and shut the door. "I see you remember the fun from the night before. Tell the truth now; you didn't expect to see me again."

Laurent laughed at that. "That's not what I heard." It was taunting and he had fully intended for it to be. He had been told that this guy could give the runaround and not play his hand fully.

Ray pursed his lips in an effort to not chew on them. That was the worst sign of nervousness from him or unease at not knowing something. If had been anything but this case he would have been like Gibbs, emotionless. Finally he said, "What have you heard?"

"Things here and there."

Ray had calmed enough to approach and get close but not too close. "You know what they say about gossip."

Laurent couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, but to hear from someone that know you and knows the shit; that is a gold mine… cop." He spat the last word out as a means of being insulting. Then he added, "Or should I say Rook?"

Ray didn't betray any emotion. Instead he looked at one of his hands as if to inspect his cuticles and did a slight buffing motion on his jacket. He looked at Laurent and replied, "You see that tells me that you may have been involved with killing Corporal Rawlings. Now if we were to get a print off of the card it was on, I'm sure that we'd be able to nail you for two murders."

"You're bluffing. You know you've got nothing."

"Oh but I do." Ray leaned in close and lowered his voice. He said, "You see, I can use things that you wouldn't even know they were being used. It's a lot different when you learn how to use certain things to an advantage. So… who hired you to jump me?"

Laurent drew out the moment before replying with a smirk, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ray sat down and was prepared to go into the stare down mode. He could wait this out of he had to though he was in danger of summoning a certain Marine Gunny's wrath. He had broken the rule about never being unreachable and he knew that it was going to piss Gibbs off. It was a small price to pay though.

Laurent watched Ray and smirked. This guy wasn't going to give up and to be honest, Laurent rather liked it. He decided to see how long it would take to push this guy to the breaking point. "So how's your baby faced partner? Trying to hide the handprints?"

"He's doing better than your partner," Ray replied. "And your girlfriend's enjoying lockup."

"She didn't do nothing."

"Assaulting a federal officer," Ray replied as he slowly fished out his notepad. He tentatively began to write a few notes. He glanced over at Laurent with a piqued air.

It became uncomfortable and Laurent spat, "You've got nothing."

"So you say," Ray replied. He looked at Laurent and added, "Make this easy on you and tell me who hired you."

"Kiss my ass." Laurent then grinned and added, "I bet you kissed hers. You know it was supposed to just be you but you hooked up with that sweet piece of a…"

Ray reached out quickly and grabbed the guy's mouth and squeezed. No one disrespected a woman even if she was a hussy. He looked intently at the guy gagging from his squeezing and said, "I'd watch what I say around people especially cops. You never know; you just might get a bad hand. Are we clear?"

Laurent shook his head and gasped when his jaw was released. He rotated it and rubbed it with his free hand. He glared daggers at Ray and said, "Think you're tough because you got a badge."

"I was being generous. Normally it's ten times worse," Ray replied. "Now are you going to give me what I want to know?"

"Fuck off." Laurent then made the gesture that he had been told to make. He did it in a mocking manner and puffed out his chest as if to challenge Ray. He then sat back and continued to glare at Ray. "The rook flew the coop."

Ray had watched the gesture and heard the comment. This guy was hired but he was playing it smart. He wasn't going to get anything more out of him. The only thing he would say was about the night before and was intent on insulting Ziva. Seeing that there was no more to be had at the moment, Ray stood up from where he had taken a seat and started towards the door.

"He wants to talk to you."

Ray paused. The comment could mean anything but this time he had to take it at face value. He looked at Laurent who was looking smug and opened the door. He looked at the guard and said, "Keep an eye on him and deliver him to NCIS at the Navy Yard." He took off down the hall.

His walk took him out of the hospital and down to a public area where he bought a cup of coffee that wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. He glanced at his phone which had been put on vibrate. He found a text message from Abby.

_Where r u? Gibbs is looking for you._

The second one was from Tim. It surprised Ray that Tim would be trying to reach him. He just gave him the number so how Tim got it was of no concern.

_Boss is looking for you. Six is burning._

Yep Gibbs was pissed and he could tell by the angry voicemail that he played. He didn't even have to hold it to his ear. It was loud enough.

_Where the hell are you? I've got Vance up my ass about something you submitted and you're not here. You know the rule about being unreachable. Get your ass back…_

Ray cut it off. It was the standard threat. Gibbs would chew him a good one. After all he was responsible for him.

"The last time I heard a voice like that was from my old man."

Ray turned to see the one person that he wasn't in the mood to see. It was the same guy that had been shooting at him and Tim earlier. Instinctively his hand when to tap his gun which was on his right side, "I should kill you right now."

"Not too private a place for an execution, is it Sahib?"

Ray knew that too. He was still wary though as he replied, "What do you want Simkins? Why did you try to shoot me and my partner?"

Simkins looked out at the scene. As far as anyone was concerned, this was just a friendly conversation between two acquaintances. He gave a slight nod and replied, "I wasn't shooting at you Sahib. I was watching your six."

"Is that what you call it?"

"You've never quibbled about it before," Simkins replied. His green eyes took in Ray as the breeze played with his light brown hair. "You know you've just become a hard person to reach nowadays. Sometimes drastic measures have to be taken for you to even pick up the phone and say hello."

Ray kept his hand by his weapon. He adjusted his position so his movements looked more casual. He replied, "I was done."

"So you said the day you got burned. You know Sahib, you always were one to play the martyr. You stuck your necks out for all of us at one time or another. This is how we repay you? By letting you take the fall?"

"DZ is done Simkins," Ray replied. He glanced about him and then looked at his former point man. "I've made my piece. Right now I have to haul in the killer of a Marine and a sailor and I believe I am looking at him. Why?"

"What makes you think I had anything to do with it?" Simkins looked at Ray with an expression that could be considered innocent.

Ray looked at Simkins in the eye and replied, "Your signature was on the casing of the bullet used to kill my dead sailor. Psalms 3:3, your favorite verse. You use it on every kill you made working on my team. The vantage point was one you would use and I'm willing to bet that it was you in the sedan that was there."

"Compelling evidence but you don't have any proof." Simkins smiled at Ray in a mocking manner. "You forget I know you're an investigator Sahib. You may have evidence and know MOs but hard physical evidence like the casing you sorely lack. I'm sure you found a print on the casing. Was it mine?"

Ray felt his throat convulse as he replied, "No."

Simkins laughed, "You used to be better than that Sahib. You really need to get back in the saddle with a real job."

"I have a real job." It was unnecessary to state that but it made Ray feel better. "You hired those guys didn't you?"

Simkins continued to laugh at Ray. "You really do need a good job. Ever since you got burned you've been wasting away in that sand pit they call a city. And doing what? Solve crimes? No. For you it was always the rush of doing an op. It fed you and drove you."

Ray knew what Simkins was talking about. He did like doing his undercover ops and missions like Dead Zone. It was a thrill. After Dead Zone, it had died but it was still there. He just wasn't into the whole experience anymore. He had grown up. He looked at Simkins and replied, "I grew up. It's called life. You should try it."

"Boring is more like it." Simkins then got on a serious note. "Look we all went through tough times after DZ. You got the worst but Wilkins caught wind of a deal that could really make things squared. It would be a chance to tell those bastards that you were right and they were wrong."

Ray studied Simkins and replied, "No."

"It's a nice easy job of sabotage. You know computers. You can really mess with their heads."

Ray studied Simkins. His ex-partner hadn't really admitted to any wrong doing and it could be argued that he was trying to help an old friend on the roof of that apartment. What Simkins was offering was a job and it smelled of something related to Leland Biotechnics but he couldn't prove that. He replied, "Not interested."

Ray started to walk away when Simkins said, "You really should be careful with your new team Sahib. Things could get dicey within the next couple of hours."

Ray turned but Simkins was already gone. The man was lost in the crowds. Ray felt his throat convulse as he struggled to keep his emotions under control.

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like Ray knows who it is and is trying to convince himself that it isn't so. And it looks like he's in trouble with Gibbs. Stay tuned for more...


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The elevator door kept opening and closing revealing a bored looking Ray. The last time that happened, Tim was the one in the hot seat. Ray just stood there with his arms crossed and waited patiently for the ax to fall. He didn't even notice when people went in and out doing their business. He just stood there and knew he could wait it out. He had been in this position before.

Tony was watching the whole scene and was vaguely impressed by Ray's ability to not let the knowledge that Gibbs was soon to release his ire make him jumpy. Then again the way Gibbs and Ray carried on, it had to be something major. He had found that Ray's personnel file had been heavily redacted in some areas or it was a footnote that didn't say much. It had him wondering about this guy and what he was doing there.

Tony trusted Gibbs' judgment. It was legendary and most people knew better than to question it in a stupid manner. He was willing to trust that Ray wasn't someone under Vance's thumb. He did save McGee's life and was willing to take the fall for anything wrong. He did have to admit that Ray was good at his job and that was hearing it from Abby and Ducky. Abby more or less praised the very ground he walked and Ducky was more impressed with… well even Tony had to admit that being able to determine where a shot was fired was pretty awesome.

Tony really didn't think bad of the guy. It was more of a territory thing and Ray had respected it even though he did have the right to lash back after the things he said. He was still watching when Ziva came up and asked, "Still waiting?"

"Yep. I bet Gibbs is trying to make him sweat," Tony replied watching. "It's been almost thirty minutes. That's longer than when McGee was in trouble."

Ziva looked at Ray just standing there. He looked like he was standing in line at the bank or some other place. He had a strange look on his face, not annoyance, but something else, like he was hiding something. It was quickly gone and replaced with a look of someone patiently waiting and willing to wait until hell froze over before budging. "I do not think that the usual applies."

"No it doesn't. It's a younger version of Gibbs versus Gibbs." Tony frowned as he pondered that expression he just conceived. It was fairly accurate since Ray had a manner similar to Gibbs. He twirled the pen that he happened to be carrying while working on what they found on their second trip to Leland Biotechnics.

Ziva on the other hand could see the comparison but she could also see the differences. She certainly saw it last night when they went out. Ray showed more of that caring part that Gibbs could show and wasn't afraid to. She could also see how polite he was even though he could give off the manner that he shouldn't be messed with. What she didn't understand was why he would make Gibbs angry enough to let him cool his heels in the elevator.

Thinking about it, she noticed Tim working on the demo tape and analyzing the digital files from Rawlings' computer. She saw him cast a glance at Ray waiting in the elevator and noticed a faint look of sympathy. It was best though to appear to work and she went to her work area to finish what she was doing. She noticed that Ray's laptop had been placed on her desk. She wasn't as computer savvy as Tim but she was curious.

It was probably spying and she considered that it was as bad as Tony snooping in Tim's things. However, curiosity was overwhelming and she popped it open. She noticed that it was still logged in so she checked the browser history. She pulled up various windows and looked through them. She stopped when she found a picture of him and his daughter. She couldn't help but smile.

Meanwhile Ray continued to stand in Gibbs' office. He knew he was in trouble and he wasn't going to deny it. He wasn't even sweating it either. He had worse from Gibbs and if Gibbs brought out the big guns, then he could worry. At the moment he was more concerned with what happened after he left the hospital.

He knew he couldn't prove that Simkins had killed Caldwell or any of the other things. Hell Simkins did what he used to do. That was the scary part. He was starting to think like an operative again. True he sort of was doing that in Vegas but he didn't have to remember the cover story that had been set up and all that. It was like riding a bike.

What had Ray was how Leland and the developments on what Dead Zone had been about were connected to Simkins and Wilkins. He had a bad feeling but he had no concrete proof. Besides his suspicions would fly with other interested parties and they probably were already doing their jobs. So what the hell did they need him for?

The elevator door opened and Gibbs walked in. Ray noticed that others in the bullpen were watching and he could guess that they were thinking that he was going to get it. He didn't look at Gibbs but let him take the lead. That came when Gibbs hit the button to the coroner's level and then hit the emergency stop. Ray didn't say anything since he learned that sometimes the best thing to do was to wait for the angry bear to get it out first.

Gibbs didn't fail, "Did being out in the desert fry your brain?"

"Considering all the times that I've been in the desert, it would have been fried long before."

Gibbs resisted the urge to head slap Ray. He was more angry that Ray took off without saying anything. It took Tim's work with computers to find out his path through security cameras and Tony asked the guard at the hospital about what was going on. "What were you doing?"

"Asking questions from a suspect, Boss." Ray didn't look at Gibbs but stared at the elevator doors. "Besides, he tried to hurt McGee."

Gibbs resisted the urge to smile. He knew that wasn't the real reason that Ray went to Bethesda. "You want to fill me in?"

"Nope."

Gibbs looked at Ray who was looking at him now. They had spent a lot of time with each and could read facial expressions fairly well. It wasn't a good substitute though for actual talking. "Do I need to pull rank?"

"Depends on which rank," Ray replied. He glanced upward and then back at Gibbs. He lowered his voice and added, "Don't push Gunny. Treading into murky waters."

Gibbs nodded. "You took off without saying anything. You tried to get the guard to leave. Then you disappear and you don't answer your phone."

Ray made a slight motion with his head. "Took a break. It was an interesting walk. It cleared my head a bit considering I was thrown into the fire just after getting my ass hauled here because an old alias was found on your Marine. My hands are tied by Sec Nav while here…"

"Don't you even think about flying solo, Skipper," Gibbs replied. He turned the elevator back on. "You're one of my people."

Ray continued to look straight ahead as he push another button. "And they're using it to keep me on a short leash. I'll help give you what you need to bring Rawlings and Caldwell some justice but I don't know about the rest." He looked at Gibbs before he took a breath and heaved a sigh. His shoulder was a bit achy and Tim was no lightweight.

"You know I'm here."

"I know Boss. I have an idea but the problem is evading superiors." The elevator dinged for Ray's floor. He pulled his hand in his pocket and pulled out the slip of paper that he had written while he had enjoyed his sojourn in the elevator. He slipped it in Gibbs' jacket pocket and walked out. "Let me know if you need someone to just be plain muscle. It's about all I'm good for," he added in a slightly raised voice and had it laced with sarcasm.

Gibbs shook his head slightly as the elevator closed. He put his hand in his jacket pocket and found the slip of paper. He looked at it for a moment and then opened it with his fingers. He read what was on it and gave a slight nod just as the elevator rang the floor. He put the note back into hs pocket and headed out to see Ducky. There was something new to look at.

* * *

The black car drove into the parking garage. It was cliché but oftentimes it worked and even better than the movies portrayed it. Besides it was private property and they had… permission from the owner. No one was going to ask any questions and if they did, they would be dealt with accordingly and all in the name of the goal.

Simkins was waiting with a calm and patient air. Behind him, watching his six was Wilkins. The others were at the rendezvous and awaiting orders. He watched at the car pulled up and came to a stop. With the right camera angles, you would get the sense of foreboding and doom written all over it. Simkins did have to hand it to their team leader since the ability to look intimidating while appearing like everything was normal was a gift especially in this line of work.

The door to the driver's side opened and the driver got out and opened the rear passenger door. That was Simkins' cue and he walked forward to get into the car. Wilkins would wait where he was and engage in a stare off with the driver; the usual drill in an otherwise mundane transaction with results that could make or break it.

Simkins made himself comfortable in his seat and looked over at who he had to give the report. It wasn't good but at least rash actions were reserved until afterwards. Being an icebreaker, Simkins said, "Nice wheels. The kind of thing that gets you in places up on Capitol Hill. The money must be really working out for you."

"Cut the sweet talk Simkins and give me something. Is it true that he is here?"

Simkins sank into report mode, "Salazaar is here just like you said he would be. NCIS brought him back when they found his alias contact information on Rawlings. The worm must've slipped it to him and convinced him to call."

"Is there any proof that Rawlings' contacted Salazaar?"

"None so far but the personal computer is out of our hands. It's at NCIS evidence lockup." Simkins looked out the window to look at the landscape.

"Does he suspect the entire group?"

Simkins looked back at his contact. He raised his brow and replied, "Salazaar ain't stupid. He knows that the bullet was mine and he would recognize the signs laid out for him. He's not gonna do anything about it. Not with Sec Nav breathing down his neck."

"He'll go rogue then."

"Not by choice," Simkins pointed out. "This is the man that can withstand an interrogation with waterboarding and shock therapy. Besides he won't make the first move unless something pushes him over the edge. And he's not susceptible to recruitment."

"So you did give the pitch."

Simkins nodded, "I did and he didn't bite. He's the best there is with security and systems but he won't take the bait. He wants nothing to do with DZ."

"Is he even sure that it is related to DZ?"

"He hasn't put together the pieces completely. He has evidence of members but he hasn't put together the whole picture. DZ is like a black mark with him. Everything he does has been to forget and to get others to forget. I know the man. He'll keep moving forward and not make waves unless someone else goes for the kill." Simkins stared at his contact with a full serious expression. "You know him as well and what he did at DZ."

"I know the man too, Simkins. We're lucky to be alive because of him and because of what he did, we paid the price."

Simkins then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a disk. His contact took it and put it into the computer that was kept inside. "Our inside mad was able to get access to the notes on the digital files. You'll like what he uncovered."

The screen flickered to life and revealed images. No audio came out since the contact was wearing headphones. Simkins watched with a bland expression. He had seen it before and he knew that it was a valuable piece. Finally the contact said, "Well, well, well. Looks like the little fucking monkey was busy. Good work Simkins."

"I take it that you have what you need?"

"Not quite. We still need the showcase piece of the whole operation. Are all elements in place at Leland?"

Simkins felt the grin grow on his face. The time had come. After all the months of planning and getting everything into place… now was the time to knock the first domino over and watch the rest of them fall into place. He replied, "Of course. The rat has been dealt with. Took a while to locate him but we got him. He was the one that convinced Rawlings to talk."

"Excellent."

"Security shouldn't be a problem. Even without Salazaar, Zollner is just as good at bypassing."

"Good. Assemble the team then. We hit Leland tonight."

Simkins had a full blown smile on his face. "With pleasure."

"Remember Simkins, this must go down as it did all those years ago. A statement must be made."

Simkins looked back at his contact as he got out of the car. He nodded and replied, "It will Boss. Down to the last shot. If there is interference, it will be taken care of… just like then." Simkins gave a grin that showed he meant what he said.

"Call time at 2000 at the rendezvous. Proceed to the target together, roger that?"

"Roger that," Simkins replied. He got out of the car and stepped away as the driver came back. He couldn't help but say, "I hope that you have a better war face than that Skippy. The bunny slippers went under cover."

The driver growled as he shut the door and got into the driver side. Simkins knew that the driver wasn't going to say anything if he valued his life. Besides he was too elated to care about what the driver thought. Tonight it was going down. He walked towards Wilkins.

Wilkins asked, "So?"

"So what?"

"Are we going?"

"Why should I tell you that?" Simkins did this with Wilkins all the time. They backed each other up after DZ and they managed to make a tidy living while plans were being made.

"Because I'm me," Wilkins offered with a slight grin.

Simkins returned the grin. He trusted Wilkins and besides the rest of the team was going to find out soon enough. He replied, "Yep. Tonight. Round up the others and tell them to gear up."

"Rook?"

"Forget him. He's on their side."

They walked to where their vehicles were. Wilkins hopped on his motorcycle and took off. Simkins waited until Wilkins was gone before he left. _Sorry old friend but you picked the wrong side this time around._

* * *

Abby was busy with her forensic evidence and working with the program that Ray had given her. Her computer had taken to it nicely and was processing simple digital files. It was actually exciting and neat since it was like a digital bloodhound. It could recognize digital signatures once exposed to it and track them down. She had called Tim down to take a look since she knew he would be interested and it turned out to be a happy accident that Tim wanted to try the program for something else that he was working on.

As it were Tim was using the program to try and weed out what looked like a second file embedded within the notes taken from Rawlings' laptop. He had been working at it all day since Gibbs told him to take it easy after earlier. Tim was more than ready to work and figured that it was Ray that needed the rest of the day. He had noticed how he would occasionally rotate his shoulder to ease some discomfort and he thought that it was because of the near fall. He didn't say anything since Ray didn't and decided to get to work on the files.

It had been hard to ignore the fact that Ray was being put in the pit when he was told to stand in the elevator. Time remembered when he got into that much heat when his sister Sarah was in trouble. He had sympathy for Ray but dared not voice it. It was better to let it blow off though he seriously doubted Tony was going to let it go.

When Gibbs came back without Ray, it was a moment of worry. Yet Gibbs looked not angry so Tim could guess that Ray was still alive and not buried in the elevator shaft. It was easy to think the worst when Gibbs got angry enough to make you sweat in the elevator. Then Abby called and asked if he wanted to see the new test program at work. At the time he had been staring at the encryptions and hit a slight wall. Maybe it might be able to help.

Right now he was working on the notes and he found that it was in pieces. He wanted to try and see if it could trace the other pieces. He just needed to make sure that he had set parameters. Rawlings had left something embedded within his files and he aimed to find out.

"So intense McGee. I like it," Abby said as she wrapped her arms around Tim's neck. She looked at what he was working on. "What do you have?"

Time gave a slight smile. He was used to Abby giving him spontaneous hugs around his neck. It only made the feelings he had for her that much stronger. He replied, "Well Rawlings' files had something embedded in them but it's in pieces. The scanned notes file has a piece of it. I think there are more on the other ones."

"And you want to use Raymie's new program to see if you can find it. Brilliant," Abby replied with a grin as she hugged Tim again around his neck and went back to her evidence and running Caldwell's prints through AFIS and the other federal databases.

It had been quiet for about an hour when the door opened to Abby's lab. As soon as it closed, it opened again. Abby had been about to address Gibbs since she thought it was him but when she turned, she caught sight of a jacket's tails flapping from an about face turn and they headed towards the elevator. Tim had looked up at the same time and saw the same thing. He frowned a bit as Abby rushed out of the lab.

Ray had come down to Abby's lab with the intent of asking if he could use her couch for a breather. He had become slightly feverish and his shoulder ached. He figured that a breather would help clear his head and maybe he could figure out how to catch a killer and do what Sec Nav wanted. He came in and spotted Tim and Abby together and being the polite guy he was, he turned around to go find another place that afforded some privacy and he could relax.

"Raymie."

Ray ignored it and pushed the button on the elevator. He rotated his shoulder and rubbed it to ease the achiness. He sighed as he ran a hand through his head and checked his phone… just in case Gibbs called him up.

"Raymie, wait," Abby called. She grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. "Where are you going?"

Ray looked at Abby, "I didn't come for Sciuto Bug, Abbs. I wanted to see if I could use your futon for a while. Nothing like spacing out for a time to think about things." He saw the look of suspicion arise on her face and added, "And my shoulder is a bit sore."

"You're more than welcome Raymie. You're family," Abby replied as she tugged on his jacket sleeve and practically dragged him into her lab. She then got behind him and started pushing him into her office much to the surprised frown that appeared on Tim's face.

Ray knew better than to argue with Abby so he let her push him. He paused only a moment to grab her left over Caf-Pow and carry it into the office. Once he was inside, he said, "You know I am just humoring you right Abbs."

"Just as I humor you with your techno toys," Abby teased with that impish grin of hers. "Just make yourself comfortable."

Ray gave a chuckle as she gave a final push and turned to go back to work. He subtly pulled out his pills and popped one out. He didn't want to but his arm was killing him at the moment and he knew Ducky had been right in his earlier assessment. He popped the pill and downed it with the Caf-Pow.

Tim glanced at Ray as he stretched his frame out on Abby's futon. He looked at Abby and asked, "Is he okay?"

"He's fine McGee. Just a sore arm."

Tim felt guilty about earlier. Before he could say anything, Ray called out, "Not your fault McGee. I'm used to it."

Abby smiled, "That's Raymie for you."

"I meant it. I am used to it. I never screw over my partner," Ray replied. He adjusted his position so that his left arm propped his head and he rested his right on his abdomen. "Leave the door open Abbs."

Tim looked at Abby and they went back to work. It was a couple of hours before Tim managed to piece more of the embedded files together. It was really quite clever in his opinion and it looked like they were all sent from Caldwell to Rawlings after the initial tests on the nanites. "Huh."

Abby was powering down her babies for the night when Tim made his comment. She debated on whether or not to wake Ray. Earlier Gibbs came down and upon hearing why he was down there, he said it was okay and left. Hearing Tim she asked, "What do you have Timmy?"

"It looks like Caldwell had been sending pieces of information to Rawlings after an initial conversation regarding a test." Tim taped a few keys and the files he had pasted themselves together. "Looks like it's a part of a file." Tim read the file… well what he had. "This looks like a set of blueprints but I'm not sure of what it is. There's a name but it's…"

"Oh God."

It was startling to see Ray fully upright and looking like someone gave him an electric shock. He ran a hair through his head. He began talking, "They're going to do it." He started walking out and pulled out his cell. "We've got a big problem."

* * *

**A/N:** Ray was in some hot water and it looks like there is some fishy things going on. The plot starts to come together. Stay tuned for more Operation Dead Zone...


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Ray listened to the response and said, "I don't know exactly when but if my suspicions are correct, they're going to hit the place tonight. It follows Dead Zone."

Ray listened to what the response was. He knew he was saying too much out loud as he walked to the garage where the cars were parked. He had just got into one of NCIS's cars when he replied, "I'm heading over there to make sure."

At the comment from the other end he said, "I know." He then hung up when he looked to see that Tim had gotten in beside him. He looked at Tim with a raise brow, "What are you doing?"

Tim looked at Ray. "I'm going with you."

"No you're not," Ray replied, refusing to start the engine. "Not this time."

"Yes I am," Tim replied with a sudden burst of defiance. He sat in the passenger seat. "Time's wasting if it's as serious as you're making this to be."

Ray looked at Tim. True they were working the same case but if he was right, there was going to be shooting and they were going for the kill. It wasn't that he doubted Tim or any of Gibbs' team and he knew that they were willing to assume the risks since it was part of the job but he knew them… well he knew Simkins and Wilkins and who the hell knows how many of the others that were in on it. "This isn't like any other case you've done."

"When is any case?"

Ray hesitated. Tim had a point. Not every case was the same. This though, he was right in saying that it was different because he knew what the endgame was. He had been there after all. He looked at Tim who was looking at him with a look that said he better get going. He had better since Leland was the better part of an hour away. Sighing he turned the ignition and got the car started and took off rather recklessly.

"Thought you said you couldn't drive."

Ray glanced over as he pulled out of the Navy Yard. It was a miracle that he hadn't been stopped by anyone. Then again they were used to seeing Gibbs rip out of there like there was no tomorrow. They probably assumed that it was him. "I never said I couldn't drive. I said that I didn't like to drive. I get a little crazy behind the wheel." As he said that, he made a correction to get onto the road he needed to get to Leland.

Tim was used to Gibbs' driving and when Ziva drove the bus one time… That was a ride to remember. This though; Tim understood the urgency but this was like borderline suicide. "I take it you've driven in Europe before?"

"Plenty," Ray replied as he gave the car her head. "That and Gibbs made sure I knew how to drive in case of an emergency."

_Figures_, Tim thought to himself. Aside from the rapid corrections that brought them dangerously close to a few cars, he thought that the driving was going pretty good. Now was the time to ask what this was really about and there were going to be no side trips. "What is Operation Dead Zone?"

Ray was experienced enough to drive when he received surprises verbally and visually. He sort of expected it now that Tim had been prying into the files per his job and skill set. Ray had been listening to the whole conversation between him and Abby while they assumed he was asleep on her futon and he was even surprised that Gibbs hadn't come in to bug him. He looked at Tim and noted the serious expression. There really was no point in hiding this much longer. Tim decided that he was going along for the ride and Gibbs would be bringing Tony and Ziva. "How did you find it?"

"You overheard the conversation," Tim pointed out. "I found blueprints and what looked like a mission template plan embedded in Rawlings files and the emails from Caldwell. He was in on it wasn't he?"

Ray chewed his lip. He didn't know who Caldwell was but he figured that he must've have found something and relayed it to Rawlings. Tim found it embedded and they were there now and he knew what they were planning to do. He replied, "Operation Dead Zone was a recovery mission. We were sent in to extract two scientists who had been working with the local government in terms of crop production. That was actually a cover and somehow they were found out."

"So it was a rescue op," Tim clarified.

"One that went wrong," Ray replied. He adjusted his grip on the wheel and made a lane change. "The building was called Dead Zone because it literally was a dead zone. Once we were within the building, we were cut off, communications everything. We had to get the scientists out and make it to the established rendezvous and exfil together. We had it planned down to blending with the locals and bluffing our way through the checkpoints."

"You got out though." Tim looked at Ray with a slightly puzzled frown.

"We did," Ray conceded, "but at a price. We got out of Dead Zone and into the local village but that was where the trouble began. We underestimated the capabilities and had to separate. A big no-no on my part but it seemed to be the only way out. I had the head scientist along with two other of my squad. The rest took the other scientist and we split up. We came under heavy fire."

"What happened?"

"Hostage situation that got out of hand," Ray replied. "Leave no man behind and we didn't but in the end we lost the scientists and their research. Or so I thought."

Tim could sense that there was a story behind the hostage situation. He decided not to pry since he learned enough what Dead Zone was. The details he could find out but of course that would require hacking and that was something that he wasn't willing to test without a get out of jail free card. He vaguely toyed with the idea of asking his father to look into it but pushed it to the back burner. "What do you mean by that? What was their research?"

"Nanites."

"You mean that file we unlocked?"

"Yep. The scientist that was with me; he showed me his notations and was surprised that I understood them. He was proud of his invention and revealed some interesting information about what he was doing with them." Ray paused to take a breath. He knew it was a lot to absorb and he wished that he had never been involved in the first place but now that he knew what was going on, he wasn't going to let Simkins and his people do what they intend to do.

Ray's cell phone beeped and Ray fished it out. It indicated that a text message was on it. He didn't recognize the caller ID and flipped it open. It was stupid to be doing it at that speed but he had to know who it was from. He pulled it from the Inbox and looked at it.

_Scuttlebutt confirmed. Rook was to be recruited. DZ is a go._

"What's going on?"

Ray flipped his phone shut. "Just got a confirmation from an old friend. They are going to hit Leland."

"Why?"

"They're going to steal the nanites. As I mentioned, it is the future of warfare."

"So they can sell it to the highest bidder?" Tim looked at Ray. "That's impossible though since they would need someone who knows how to program and activate them."

"They have a tech," Ray replied as he stared straight ahead at the road. He was quiet for a moment and then asked, "How much of the dossier did you get to read before we took off?"

"Up to about the infiltration," Tim replied. "That was all I was able to get. The program you gave Abby was looking for the other pieces."

"Huh, I knew that program would work. And they said I lived in a pipedream world," Ray muttered, his voice carrying a hint of pride in his program. As to what Tim knew, they were going to have to play it by ear once they got there. He made a slight hiss and a sigh, "Not enough but it will do for now."

"What do you mean?"

"The group that killed our sailor and Marine are reenacting Dead Zone. Down to the recruitment of me, the killing of loose ends that were actually enemies in the real DZ; everything is being orchestrated to the op."

"You mean that they are doing the whole thing over? Then that makes us…"

"The guys that were after the original team," Ray finished. "They'll be shooting to kill. The endgame I suspect is something different."

"What would that be? Revenge?"

"You could say that." Ray took the turn off the highway and headed towards the corporation. "When the mission was over, I took the fall and the rest of my team was given leniency. That didn't mean their careers went well. It's easy to blame when things go wrong even if they turn up right in the end."

Tim took it in and thought it over in silence. This had to be hard on the guy since these were his old teammates and they were in essence betraying him and the country. Since Ray knew them and their motives… that was more likely why Vance brought him in. He would be able to guess correctly which move they would make next and try to be a step ahead. It didn't look like it now but now that at least he knew, Tim was sure he would be able to help. "At least you're back to fix this."

"Not sure if it was my mess to fix but I'll do my best," Ray replied with a slight grin. "You're a good guy McGee. Makes me wish you were my partner in Vegas." He took a pause and then asked, "I suppose another Gemcity novel will come out of this? I would like to see what Agent McGregor does next."

Tim wondered if Ray was doing what his stalker fan had done and confused fiction with reality. That would really just make things awkward. He wasn't sure of what to make of it. The more he observed, he noticed that conversation actually improved Ray's driving and he wasn't so focused on whether or not he was going to wind up wrapped around a tree or something. He realized then that Ray was trying to remain calm and not get too anxious even though it wasn't showing. The man was almost like Gibbs in not revealing his emotions. It had Tim thinking that Dead Zone was bigger than the cliff notes version. He replied, "Um… why not wait for the video game release?"

"Sorry about that. Sometimes I blab when I work."

"It's okay. Why did your company pick my book?"

"I like them. I read them all," Ray offered in his blunt manner. "I read the first one and I actually could draw parallels to NCIS. Made me miss it all the more. It was an idea that came to me and I told Jo to set up a contract."

"Jo?"

"My probie though she'll tell you she's the personal slave. She's my right hand man and a good friend." Ray made a turn, "I think McGregor and Amy belong together."

"Not you too," Tim muttered.

"I'm serious. I can see that Amy Sutton is rather reluctant to admit how she feels just as McGregor does and probably because of something that occurred before the events in the story. Of course they are fictional. If they were real it would take someone wearing the pants to start slow and work up to it. That is of course if they were real." Ray made a slight half smile in Tim's direction. He wasn't lying when he said he had read the books. Tim had Scuito Bug down to her excited rambling and oscillation between annoyance and happiness.

Tim didn't reply since he wasn't sure of what to say. He remained quiet as they pulled up to the main road that led to Leland. He was surprised that he was still in one piece and that Ray was driving without headlights on.

* * *

It was a feeling of déjà vu for Ray as he surveyed the path to the entrance that he and Tim were to take. He wasn't even sure that this was a good thing. He could have easily gotten in by himself and tracked the team breaking in and reported where they were holed up. Night gigs always made him nervous and he figured that was what contributed what had him here in the first place.

Gibbs arrived shortly after he and Tim did with Ziva and Tony. There had been little to no time for Gibbs to chew him out once he explained the version he told Tim. It was better in the long run though he got a strange look from Ziva. It was pushed to the back burner when Gibbs asked for confirmation of the robbery in place.

It hadn't been hard to verify since Tony found a dead guard nearby. The guy had been strangled from behind as far as Ray could tell. It was at that moment that he explained the movement to get into the labs by pointing out the most likely routes.

It was Gibbs who made the call to go in after Ray said that there were more likely five to six; that was how the original team worked. He told Gibbs that they were going after the nanites and didn't have to explain further that it was the same thing he went after. He could see the wheels turn in Gibbs' head at the connections being made. It was at that moment that Ray suggested calling in for back up.

That was taken into consideration but when they heard a gunshots, the game was on. The typical response was to go in and cover all exits. Ray stopped them from rushing in saying that they were watching the major exits and probably where they couldn't be easily seen. He was relieved that Gibbs bought that but was surprised that he told him to point out points of access.

That was what had him and Tim approaching from a side entrance that looked like what security and maybe the lab assistants entered through. Ray had paused, looking for any sign of a sentry while hiding behind a bush. He scanned the floors and the surrounding area to make sure before starting forward with Tim on his heels.

At the door Ray whispered, "Check the door."

It was a moment before Tim said, "Uh oh."

Ray turned from his cover position to look. "What is it?" The stage whispering was automatic and to him he sounded like he was losing his voice.

"Double electronic key card," Tim replied. "Can't hotwire it without tripping it."

That was a problem. Ray made a slight sound as he raised his brow. He motioned for Tim to cover him and traded places. There was a reason why he brought his bag along. He zipped it open and pulled out the one thing that Jo said was an obsolete piece of junk. _Piece of junk my ass Jo_, he thought and made quick movements to work the security.

"What are you doing?" Tim was watching Ray's six but he had noticed the equipment Ray pulled out of his pack.

"Old trick I learned trying to sneak in the Colonel's lab," Ray replied as he slipped his fake card in the slot and keyed into the system. _Come on baby. Work for me._

It was relief when the security light when green indicating that they were in. Ray had to resist giving a slight cheer since it wasn't the time or the place. He pulled his card out and opened the door and motioned for Tim to get inside. Once they were in Tim asked, "Who's the Colonel?"

"My father. I got my ass busted for that stunt but it sure came in handy," Ray replied as he shoved the equipment in his pack. He tapped his earpiece and said, "We're in."

_We're in._

Ray and Tim listened to the other confirmations that they were in the building. Tim said, "According to Tony and Ziva, the main lab is on two. Special projects is on three."

_Great. Just what I like._ Ray gave a slight eye roll at that. It was like Leland had modeled their base like Dead Zone. It was like watching a bad remake or something. He spoke, "Everyone approach with caution. Watch the main stairwells and avoid the elevators."

_Copy that._

Ray raised his Sig in the ready position. He looked around and fished out an Army red light and flipped it on. Holding it to light his path, he led the way and Tim followed, covering his six. The main lab was a probable but Ray was willing to bet money that the nanites were under special projects. If they could get to a computer that was on the server, they could find out where.

It was probably sheer luck that they made it to the main labs without incident. He covered while Tim got onto one of the computers and began accessing the server. He was feeling uneasy that there was no one on this level. Simkins was meticulous with everything… that is if he was calling the shots. Shaking the unease, Ray spared a glance, "You got something?"

"Got it," Tim replied. "Third floor. Lab AA23."

Ray relayed the information as Tim powered it down and they headed up to the third level. His Sig was held in a ready position and the familiar weight of his bag was on his hip. He was bent over as he had been trained when clearing the way to minimize a potential target. They climbed the stairs quietly until Ray came to a stop.

Tim peered around and whispered, "What is it?"

Ray kneeled down and shown his light to reveal a wire. He pointed it out to Tim and began to follow it to the source. At least it wasn't a grenade that could kill them. It was a flash bang designed to alert the team if someone was coming. He mouthed what it was to Tim as he disabled it. Since the pin was intact, he inspected it and then pocketed it. You never knew when such a thing would come in handy. The door to the third floor was not guarded and that was what worried Ray. He relayed a plan to Tim and went to work on the door.

The lab was dark as Ray walked through. He looked around while his eyes adjusted to the darkness while holding his weapon up in the ready position. He followed the sequence on the doors of the labs while looking around. This was not a good idea but it was the only idea he had. He then heard the noise; it was the sound of keys tapping like someone was trying to hack something. He managed to get a good view and saw a tech specialist trying to open a safe like structure. He was being covered by two others. That left maybe three others.

"Hurry up."

"I'm trying but this isn't like the security locks on the doors. It's revolving."

"You said that you were the best."

"I'm no Rook but I know my stuff."

"Quit your yapping," Wilkins' voice entered. "Open the safe and get the prototype. That's our directive."

Ray watched as they struggled to open the safe. If he had been at the wheel, he would have been in and out. He certainly knew how to break into places. His first attempt was breaking into the lab where his father worked. He figured out the access and planned it… and all because he felt he had to prove something to his younger brother who was a master of breaking and entering. Of course he brought the hardline on his ass but in the end, he turned that skill into something useful. This though… no way. Now he understood what Simkins had been trying to do.

He moved a little to see what they were doing. He could guess that they were getting close. He paused when he heard someone talking. It was about checking out a disturbance but it was clear. He couldn't hear anything else since he felt the business end of a gun on the back of his head. He gritted his teeth as he made a grimace.

"Seems you forgot the plan, Sahib."

Ray raised his hands and showed disarming of his weapon. He replied, "Not entirely since I'm here Simkins."

"And you brought company," Simkins replied as he took Ray's Sig and holstered it. "Hands."

Ray put his hands on the back of his head. He knew the drill with that. "I came alone. Do you think I would trust them to help me out?"

"Don't insult my intelligence Sahib," Simkins replied as he gave a hard push with the gun. "You would bring backup. You aren't that careless."

"First time for everything. You said it yourself. I was the one that got burned," Ray replied.

Simkins made a motion and replied, "You did Sahib. That was your mistake. Bring him in." He made a motion towards the darkness.

Ray turned when he saw another one of Simkins' guys enter pushing Tim in. He gritted his teeth in frustration. He noticed Tim shooting him a look of apology. He gave a slight nod to tell him not to apologize. He was a follower of that rule in that apologizing makes you weak mostly in where it counted in terms of the job and tense situations. "You okay McGee."

Tim nodded. "One down."

Ray nodded and gave a slight smile. Simkins though wasn't impressed and said, "So you may have knocked out one of my guys but you are still out numbered. Are you seriously trying to make the same choices all over again Sahib?"

"Actually I made different ones. I knew you would be hitting Leland and I looked up the security and knew you'd be patrolling the floors."

"Did you think that we wouldn't cover the other parts?"

"That's your problem Simkins. You always had the tendency to think small. And here you wondered why I was promoted instead of you." Ray paused a moment to see that the safe was still not cracked. They were close but no cigar. "Still not cracking it I see."

"Yes well you know Ringo. He's not as good as you." Simkins looked at the others and then at his prey. He didn't care about the baby faced kid but he knew a thing or two about pressure points.

"I'm terrible and you know it."

"We'll see about that," Simkins replied. He moved so that Ray could see him and grabbed Tim. "Now since you are 'terrible' with revolving security systems, you are going to take a crack at it. You open it and maybe I might be generous. Better than we ever were at DZ."

"What if I say no?"

Simkins grinned. He was going to enjoy this. "You know how that works. Crack it or I put a bullet in your partner here." To show he meant business he put the gun to Tim's head.

Ray looked at Tim and then at Simkins. He glanced at the safe and then back. "You know I won't betray my country Simkins."

"Wrong answer," Simkins replied as he cocked his weapon and then fired.

* * *

**A/N:** Things are heating up and Timmy got shot! Stay tuned for more next time on Operation Dead Zone...


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Tim felt like he saw his whole life go by. He remembered the same feeling a couple of times in the course of the job and also when he had his car accident. He heard the shot and he felt the pain but he wasn't dead or dying. He gripped where the pain was coming from and saw that he had been shot in the shoulder. It took a moment to register that he had been hit. The blood came through his fingers as he gripped his right.

Tim looked at Ray who was motioning to the one who shot him. "Simkins, stop."

Simkins pointed the gun at Tim but this time pressed on the wound that had just been made. Tim tried not to grunt in pain at the pressure. He managed to grunt out, "Don't do it Ray."

Simkins applied more pressure and looked at Ray. "Looks like your baby faced partner has finally grown a set. Of course it's a lot different after a bullet rips through your body but then again you also know about that too huh Sahib? Now open it or the next one is going to be through the head."

Tim knew the threat was serious when he felt the muzzle being pressed to the side of his head. This was also serious. He knew that if Ray helped them, he would be adding and abetting and that would be a problem for him. Yet within the two days of meeting the guy, he learned that he wasn't one to let anyone he was teamed with flounder; even if he had only known them for a couple of hours. "Ray… don't."

Ray looked at Tim who was grunting in pain. He wasn't going to risk it and he wondered what was taking the others so long. They should have been there by now.

"If you're wondering about your backup, we've left them a few surprises. I can imagine that it would take some time to get through," Simkins spoke as if he knew what Ray was thinking. "Now make this easy on everyone Sahib and open the safe. Then maybe this will end well for everyone."

Ray felt that his hands were tied. He wasn't going to let anything happen to Tim since he was his responsibility. He sighed, "Alright."

Tim watched in pain and in sorrow. It was also mingled with anger in that a new friend was being made to do something that could end his career. From his view, he thought that Ray looked worn down, like he was being beaten into submission. His gaze shifted and it was then he noticed movement and recognized it for what it was. He would remain quiet for the moment.

Ray didn't see the movement as he went forward. The others cleared the way and stood up with their guns poised. He sighed as he looked at the work that was being done. It was simple since Ringo had gotten through the hard part. It was the homestretch that needed to be played out. He slowly reached out with his hand towards the keyboard that was set up and hesitated.

"Don't punk out on me now Sahib. Not if you don't want pretty boy's brains splattered everywhere."

Ray didn't appreciate the taunt and turned to look back. It was then that he caught sight of Ziva. She made a motion to indicate that Gibbs and Tony were also around and ready to go. He willed himself not to react as his hand hovered. He made a slight motion that wouldn't have gotten Simkins' attention and reached over and made a couple of keystrokes. He slowly stood up as the safe clicked and opened and gave an almost sullen look at Simkins.

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Ray looked at Tim. He had been let go since it was assumed that he wasn't going to be much trouble but he still had an eye kept on him. He looked at Simkins and replied, "Like pulling teeth you fucking asshole."

Simkins' reaction was how he had hoped. Ray felt himself get shoved and he bumped hard into Tim. It was not the best plan but it allowed him to sneak something out and palm it while he was grabbed and made to stand still. He glanced at Tim who was holding his shoulder and wincing in pain. He gave a slight nod to indicate that he was sorry.

"Don't fuck with me Sahib. This would have been much easier if you would have said yes earlier. Then maybe you wouldn't be in this position." Simkins motioned for Ringo to move in to get the prototype and the files.

Ringo made his way into the vault and looked for what they were looking for. He carefully placed his hands on it and lifted it. "Got it."

"Move out," Simkins replied. He pointed his gun at Ray and Tim. "You know I could just let you go but where's the fun in that? Better that I just kill you and make you a hero. Then again it would be interesting to see what you'll do when word gets out that you aided and abetted this. It would be like old times wouldn't it?"

Ray looked at Simkins. His hand manipulated what he had in his hand and held it ready. He knew that this would be momentary but it would provide enough. He replied, "It would. The difference is though that last time I took the heat for your fuck up. This was coercion."

Simkins laughed, "Trying to argue semantics Sahib?"

"Just making a point." With that Ray threw what was in his hand towards Simkins. He had a split second before it exploded.

The movement startled Simkins since it was unexpected and he fired but the shot went wide. The next moment an explosion sounded as the flash bang went off and blinded nearly everyone in the room. That was the moment to move.

Ray made a lunge for Simkins and gave a punch and disarmed him and got his gun back. He whirled to duck since he saw the one that had been covering Tim raise his weapon. He was relieved that Tim distracted him and managed to get his weapon back. By that time though Simkins was back up and had pulled another weapon out and started firing.

* * *

Gibbs had been surprised to see one of the intruders gagged and handcuffed to the stairwell. He recognized them as Tim's and silently gave a thought of praise to his agent. His gut had been telling him that he should follow the route that Tim and Ray had taken instead of the direction he said that he would take.

It didn't surprise him that these guys rigged certain traps around the place. They were easy to disable. He knew that Ziva would cover Tony on their end if she spotted anything of the sort. He ignored the grunting of the prisoner and continued up. He slowly opened the door and immediately spotted the light coming from one area. It was accentuated with a muzzle flash and the shot rang out.

The sound was enough to make Gibbs think the worst. He heard Ray telling one of them to stop and Tim was holding onto his arm. It was all too clear to Gibbs that this group knew what they were doing. The leader was telling Ray to open the vault or he was going to put a bullet in Tim.

Gibbs knew better than anyone that Ray would do what he could to save his crew. He had saved his life when they first met and ended up with three stitches in his head and a mild concussion. They were not officially teammates then but he behaved that he was. It was a quality that Gibbs knew the bad guys would exploit to the fullest if they knew what kind of person Ray was. That was what worried him and that was what happened to get Ray exiled. Here it was replaying again.

As he inched forward, he noticed Tony and Ziva come in. He motioned for them to approach slowly and quietly and to stay low. Gibbs made sure that they could be seen by their people to let them know that help was there. He got a slight motion from Ray and he recognized the flicker of his finger. He knew Ray had something that could give them a hand up.

Gibbs motioned for the rest of the team to stay still when Ray agreed to crack the safe. He saw the reluctance in his probie's posture but he also could detect that edge he got when he was ready to go. It was almost comical if there weren't guns involved when Ray taunted his ex-teammate. It was part of the plan since Gibbs saw the movement and what came out.

The explosion he anticipated and he motioned for Tony and Ziva to cover up. When it was over they had their chance but Tim and Ray needed to get out of the line of fire. He brought his weapon out and called, "NCIS, don't move."

By that time Ray had tackled one and Tim did another and they were out of the way. Gibbs anticipated the gunfire and ducked behind where he took cover. He peered over to make out five total. The one Tim handcuffed made six. They odds were made somewhat better. Gibbs brought his weapon over and looked for a target. He fired and ended up drawing fire. He ducked just as the glass objects above shattered from the shots.

Meanwhile Tony and Ziva were exchanging fire. Tony was trying to see if he could see Tim or Ray. "I don't see them."

"Neither can I," Ziva replied as she aimed. She hit one but he was wearing Kevlar and he was momentarily stunned but he ducked back down and continued to fire. "They're wearing Kevlar."

Tony made a slight movement with his head. That was just great. That means that they had to get in close but that was after they disarmed the suspects. He knew Ziva wouldn't have a problem with that. She was like a ninja and could take down two before he could barely get to one. "Can you get in close?"

The gunfire was coming rapidly and with the glass shattering all around, it was difficult to say. Ziva tried to assess her position before giving an answer. Finally she replied, "I am not sure. I can try."

Tony was going to tell her to get moving when there was a sudden crash. It wasn't caused by shots fired. It was someone ramming someone else into something. "Looks like someone already got started."

* * *

Ray had rolled behind a desk to avoid getting hit. The glass exploded around him. This place had too much damn glass. Then again it was a lab and glass was the requirement and it didn't matter if it was a computer lab or not. He peered around and spotted someone firing at Gibbs or one of the others. He took a couple of shots and ended up drawing fire so he ducked for cover.

Ray looked around and noticed that Ringo was still near the vault. He had the nanites. An idea formed. They couldn't let the nanites be taken. He couldn't see much but from the looks of things he was clear. He stayed low and crept until he was within tackling distance and rammed Ringo into a lab table. He didn't see the case with the nanites fly out and slide underneath a table.

He wrestled with Ringo and they exchanged punches. He made contact and he grunted, "Damn it Ringo. I trusted you."

Ringo dealt back the punches but managed to get in, "You still can Jay Bird. Working with the Agency on this."

It took a moment for it to sink in. By that time Ray had been rolled over and pinned by Ringo. "Spook?"

"You know we both are," Ringo replied. He gave another punch to stun Ray since this was a cover. "Just stay out of trouble Rook. Let us handle it." He then got up and went to look for the case leaving Ray to collect his thoughts.

Ray felt the sting of glass as he rolled over to get to his feet. He managed to get to a position to see Simkins get up and fire. More glass started and a fire started to burn. It lit up the place more and Ray decided to make a move towards Simkins. He would ignore Ringo and there was the other guy that he couldn't see and there was Wilkins.

The fire beginning was a problem but that wasn't the case since the missing man popped out of nowhere and grabbed Ray's firing arm. They wrestled with each other and Ray took a shot to the gut from the guy's knee but he didn't let go. Instead he rammed the guy into another table and that shifted things. Ray felt a hand on his throat and his wrist was being held. He felt his air getting cut off but he managed to push off and in the process they collided with Ringo. It was enough to allow Ray to punch his way out. The result was his attacker colliding with Ringo in a tangle of limbs.

Twisting, Ray saw the case. He slid out and made a grab for it. The slide carried him behind some tables and he found that he was close to the vault. He heard the shots and then Simkins shouting at his men to be careful with what they shot at. Ray could make the flames out as they rose and frowned at the fact the sprinkler systems weren't going on. He looked down at the case and had an idea.

Simkins was trying to get towards Ray since he had spotted that he had the case. This was going to be much more difficult than he had anticipated but at least he could be prepared for other things and he was sure that Sahib wouldn't remember. The guy was good but not that good. He decided to play with the weakest link and like a predator, he started stalking him out. First to have fun and he brought out something guaranteed to make these odd more in his favor.

Ray finished what he was doing and turned to look for a way out. If they played keep away until they subdued them, then there was a possibility of nipping this in the bud even if Ringo was on another team that wasn't the enemy. He slid along the ground while pushing the case ahead of him. He then heard the unmistakable sound of an M4.

It was extreme duck and cover to avoid getting shot. For Ray, he was already under cover and was trying to find a better opening. They needed to take down these guys, alive preferably but maybe it wouldn't matter. Then again if they were going to sell to the highest bidder, the Agency would want to be able to nab both seller and buyer. They would just have to do what they could.

It was then that Ray saw one of Simkins' men. They had managed to flank Ziva's position, though he wasn't sure at the time. He pushed the case underneath a desk and crouched and brought his weapon up. He stood up and fired.

The shots didn't hit since the guy ducked at the last moment. However the guy turned and pointed his gun at Ray but Ray was quicker and squeezed off two rounds that hit in the shoulder and they guy went down. It was a split second later when he felt the burning sting of a bullet hitting his right upper arm but he didn't flinch. He pivoted but it felt like slow motion and managed to squeeze off the last of his clip. It felt embarrassing when the click came but he had to react quick to avoid getting mowed down.

Ray felt in his bag for a spare clip. He was surprised that Simkins didn't assume that he had a backup piece. Not that it would have mattered in this fight anyway. It was a bit hard to put the new clip into his Sig with blood leeching down his arm and he could feel the muscles strain and gritted his teeth against the pain. He was no stranger to getting shot though and worked his way through it until he got the clip in and was locked and loaded. He turned to pivot and crouched to look for a target.

Meanwhile Tim had been beaten off by the guy that had caught him in the first place. He did manage to find a position and changed in order to make sure that his flank was covered. The recoil from his Sig made his arm ache but at the moment he couldn't and didn't think about that. He looked to see Ray take down one of them and saw one firing at him. He discharged his own weapon to draw fire.

It was a mistake since the guy turned and began firing an M4 assault rifle at him. He went to the most secure place and now he was like a trapped rat in the vault. He still kept up the fire to give Ray time to reload since he could barely make out the telltale click of an empty clip. The M4 was still firing and Tim was conserving what was left in his clip before reloading. He peered and nearly frowned before he realized what was going on.

Ray saw that Tim was trapped and with the barrage of M4 fire, it was going to be difficult getting out. He managed to make out Tony, Ziva and Gibbs and they were busy with Ringo and Wilkins and Simkins was firing at everything but mostly at Tim. One was down, Tim cuffed one so that left one more and he was somewhere in there. It was a risk.

It was stupid but it would work. Ray popped up suddenly and threw what was probably a beaker at Simkins. He then took off running to provide a moving target and drew Simkins' fire. He ran away from the vault and behind a glass wall that shattered the moment it was hit. He ran into an arc before he ducked to catch his breath. He peered around the corner just in time to see the sleeper he knew was there take a shot and hit Tim square in the chest.

Ray was too far to jump and grab Tim but he retaliated by shooting the sleeper. He put three taps into the guy. Two in the chest and one in the head. He was down and Ray didn't care. He duck out of sight to get to Tim and noticed that the others were moving to try and help their fallen agent. Ray decided the direct approach and it was one that Simkins wouldn't expect.

He holstered his weapon and got into position. He gave a tentative poke to his arm and made a slight face before turning back to the scene. He gave a quick breath and took off. He was running on the furniture and running where he leapt off and tackled Simkins hard to the ground. They rolled with momentum and the M4 slid from Simkins' grasp. Ray was back on his feet and was going to charge when he was tackled by Wilkins.

The momentary distraction allowed Gibbs and Tony to get off a couple of shots at Simkins and Ringo. Ziva had been trying to reach Tim but couldn't since her way was blocked by the fire that was starting to spread. She was cut off.

Ray kept a tight grip even though Wilkins was pummeling his injured arm. He managed to get him to back off when a sharp pain hit his hip. He realized that Simkins had gotten the M4 back and was firing at them and he got hit. He fell at an odd angle but he managed to scurry out of the way and it was luck that he was closest to Tim.

It was pure adrenaline as Ray came out hobbling slightly and grabbed Tim by his good arm and pulled him behind the overturned table that they had taken cover. Ray pulled Tim close and said, "Gotcha McGee. Just stay with me."

The firing continued and it was becoming apparent that the three remaining suspects were engineering their escape route. The fire that had started was to their advantage and with the barrage of fire, they pinned the agents in their spots.

Ray was breathing heavily when he heard, "You sure you want to continue this Sahib? We've already won."

Ray peered around his table and saw Ringo disappearing through a door with the case. Damn it. He thumped the back of his head on the table in frustration as he checked out Tim. The chest wound wasn't too bad since he wasn't having a hard time breathing. Still Tim was going to need a doctor's care and the sooner the better. He replied, "This isn't going to end well for anyone Simkins. It's not worth it."

"Now you see that's where you're wrong, Sahib," Simkins replied. He was motioning to Wilkins quietly and he was rushing to obey the orders that were being relayed by hand signals. "Ask Agent Gibbs there. Even he knows you're out gunned on this one and we have what we need."

Ray felt a buzz and pulled out his cell. It was a text message and was actually surprised that Gibbs knew how to use that function. Two more came and he knew that Tony and Ziva were okay. He texted back while saying, "Yeah but you know how it ends in terms of that."

"Oh I'm sure. You know I really wanted you in on this and give you a chance to prove that you were right."

"You know me. I'm the guy that follows orders and per standing order, the captain goes down with the ship," Ray replied as he looked in his pack. He didn't have much and it wasn't like he carried grenades. That was just stupid. He did have one thing that he was adamant about since Gibbs schooled him in that one. The beauty of it was that he had not one but three.

"And I'm sorry," Simkins replied while he glanced at Wilkins finishing what he needed to do.

"No you're not. You never were," Ray replied. He looked at Tim who nodded that he was still with him and added, "Tell me something, before you shot your piece there, did you say your customary blessing?"

It was totally random to anyone not familiar with the situation but Ray knew what he was doing. He knew that comment would make Simkins freeze. He took the chance and stood up. "You probably didn't which is why you missed."

The knife hit where it was supposed to… well it was heading that way. Simkins managed to see it and bat it away from him while at the same time firing at Ray who dove for cover only to pop up and throw a second knife at Simkins.

Wilkins finished what he was doing and signaled to Simkins. He got up and picked up his weapon and also unearthed an assault rifle and held it ready to fire. Simkins said, "That was very impressive but your aim is off Sahib."

"On purpose."

"Not likely and now I regret to inform you that we now must be leaving. This has all been a great experience and maybe you might figure out the next step."

Ray was on his feet and made to charge at Simkins while firing but something exploded in front of him. Too late he realized it was a smoke grenade and he couldn't see a damn thing and he was a sitting duck. He coughed and tried to clear his eyes to see.

"You might want to make sure you keep your charge close. You never know what might happen but then again you would remember that part."

Ray was still coughing and could hear gunfire. It was the rest of the team covering his stupid ass and allowing him to dig for cover. He dropped to the ground and took a moment to clear his lungs even though there was smoke in the area. It was then that he turned his head and noticed something nearby. His eyes opened wide at what it was and turned in time to see Simkins exiting and giving a taunting wave.

Ray shouted, "Everyone out! Get off this floor!"

It was sheer effort and willpower for Ray to hobble since his hip was on fire. More likely he had been hit by the M4 there. Yet he had to get to Tim who was struggling to get up. He grabbed Tim by his upper body and said, "I gotcha Tim. Come on we gotta go."

It was awkward since his right felt like it was dangling deadweight and he was hobbling. He knew it was excruciating for Tim since he was pulling on his injured arm and there was the hole in his chest. Ray kept muttering though to keep Tim moving but it was slow and they had to go a different way since they were cut off by the fire that was spreading.

Tim coughed, "Go the way they went."

That made sense since that was their best option. They had to hurry though. Ray put an extra spurt into his injured leg and hauled Tim. "Come on McGee. Even McGregor was able to get through something like this. Scuito Bug is going to have a field day."

That seemed to spur Tim into action. He did his best to help Ray as they were almost to the door. Ray turned to look and saw the light. He went with instinct and found himself flying through the air. He hit something but didn't feel the full effect since he passed out while holding onto Tim. The world had gone black as the whole third floor windows blew out.

**TBC...**

* * *

**A/N:** Now that was something. What did happen to the team? Stay tuned for next time...


	11. Operation Dead Zone: Part II

**Operation Dead Zone: Part II**

Alrighty folks we come to part II of Operation Dead Zone and maybe we'll learn the whole story about this op. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 11**

"Sir, please restrain yourself."

There was a large clang like a bedpan falling to the ground. There were some shrieking noises from nurses and strange forms of cussing. Abby was almost afraid to find out what she would find. She peered into the room and found her friend standing fully upright and he had taken one of the chairs and was holding it like a weapon.

Had it been a comedy it would have been funny but it frightened Abby. The look in her friend's eyes was laced with pain, drugs and a fierce determination. The fact that he was standing at all with the injuries he sustained was something to marvel at. However Abby knew that her friend was not going to back down if he had any inkling that someone was in danger even in his drug haze. She looked and saw her friend hovering by her best friend and he was looking ready to unleash bloody hell.

Abby knew that there was one way to get to her friend. First she had to get his attention and she didn't have much time since she saw security coming. She got to a place where she could be seen and shouted, "Raymie!"

The belligerent patient looked at her. He was still holding the chair but he lowered it slightly. He still looked like he was going to lunge at the nearest person who tried something. He finally said, "Scuito Bug?"

Abby was glad that Ray was responding. "Yeah it's me."

At that moment security was going to move. Abby jumped in their way and said, "Don't!"

The fracas was going to start again but luckily for Abby who was trying to push the security guards away Gibbs arrived. He took in the scene and guessed correctly what was going on and told the security to stand down. He motioned to the doctors, "Just back up."

Abby had gotten closer and managed to put a hand on the chair. "Raymie, it's okay. We know you're just doing your job. See, Tim's okay." She tried not to tremble at the fact that she could see blood seeping through his arm and near his waist, right at the hip. She gently tugged at the chair. "Just put it down."

"Do as she says Skipper," Gibbs added. "McGee's all right. You did your job."

Both Gibbs and Abby looked at Ray who let go as Abby continued to pull on the chair. She managed to take it and put it down. At that time Tony and Ziva had joined the group. The doctors and nurses were staying back. Tony assumed damage control in keeping them back. Ziva watched as Abby put the chair down and she looked a little hurt that Ray backed away from her as if he were afraid of her even though that wasn't true.

As she observed his movements and took into account that he was probably high on pain killers and wasn't even feeling the pain from his injuries, she came to the conclusion that he was focused on the last thing he remembered before the explosion. He was protecting Tim or at least getting him out. The retreat was the awareness of feeling vulnerable. She remembered that feeling.

_It took me speaking Arabic to her to calm her down…_

Gibbs and Abby were doing a good job of talking him down but a little more needed to be done. Ziva decided to take an initiative. She began speaking in Hebrew and like when Abby interrupted before, he responded. Finally Ray dropped his defensive posture and let the staff in since at that moment Tim started to code.

Everyone gave Ray his space as he leaned against the door and peered in to watch. His eyes were still glazed over from the meds and any physical pain and they were focused on watching. Ziva though didn't stay away. She ventured, "Ray?"

Ziva would have said more but Gibbs took over. Somehow he managed to convince Ray to go back to his room. She watched as they walked like two friends down the hall. It was a good thing since things seemed to be going better for Tim now that he was stabilized. It felt like there were things that shouldn't have gone wrong but they did.

_The smoke from the smoke grenade was choking. She wasn't near it but that and mingled with smoke from the fire made it difficult to breathe. She was in that position since she was nearly flanked by the injured gunman that Ray hit. They were trying to get the suspects before they left with the case of whatever it was that they wanted._

_ The next thing she heard was Ray shouting for everyone to get out. Ziva didn't miss the urgency even though she tripped on something. It was then she noticed what Ray must have noticed and started pushing Tony towards the exit they came through. Gibbs was somewhere behind them and then there was an explosion and she and Tony fell through the door of an office._

_ Somehow the blast blew out the fire but there was still a lot of smoke in the air as they slowly got up. They were covered with dust but were otherwise not hurt. Ziva looked around as they stepped out of the office and looked for the others._

_ Gibbs was okay except for a scratch behind his ears from when glass shattered. That left Tim and Ray. They had been closer to the device. It took great effort not to hurry over just in case there was damage to the floor. They looked near where they last saw them._

_ Ziva found them first. Well she found Ray covering Tim. It looked like he had been trying to push Tim first when it went off. The blast had carried them and they hit the wall but Ray still had a protective hold on Tim. She called out that she found them and started looking them over. They were unconscious and she could see blood on their heads but there were also the gunshot wounds._

_ It startled her when Ray's eyes opened and looked at her. She talked to him and he responded but a little sluggish. He said something about feeling numb in his back. Her eyes then trailed down to his lower back and she saw the shard of glass sticking out of it…_

Ziva took a breath as she realized that she had been staring in space. She looked at herself and realized that she was still covered in dust. She and Tony had checked out and they had been waiting on how Ray and Tim were. She was concerned about Tim and it looked like he was going to be okay.

"That was… interesting."

Ziva could agree with Tony's statement. Having been in Mossad and then NCIS, she had never seen a reaction like the one she had just witnessed. It was also a surprise that Ray responded to her words even though they were in Hebrew and the idea just came to here. It probably made since she was the first one he saw while they called the bus.

The ruckus managed to calm down with Tim being stabilized and Gibbs hadn't even come out of Ray's room. Ziva surmised that he wanted to prevent Ray from terrorizing nurses further. She finally managed to say, "He was acting upon the last thing he remembered."

"Which was protecting McGee," Tony concluded. He hadn't missed how Ray ran while an M4 was firing to draw fire away from Tim. He had also seen how he covered Ziva's flank when he noticed one sneaking up on her. "Actually he was protecting the team," he corrected. "He didn't go after Gibbs or Abby."

_He did not attack me either_, Ziva thought as the doctor came out to say that Tim was stabilized and that what he needed at that point was rest. Ducky had joined them by that time and had begun asking questions about the conditions of Tim and Ray. It gave her opportunity to sneak down to Ray's room and away from the crowd that was at Tim's.

Ray had managed to be cooperative and was back in the bed and had actually passed out. Gibbs was looking at the unconscious agent with an expression that said nothing but probably had something else. Ziva came in a little and asked, "Is everything…"

"He'll stay put," Gibbs said. "Skipper knows how to keep a promise." He kept his eyes on the bed. His thoughts he kept to himself for the moment. Most of them were not even directed at the agent that had his back since day one. "How's McGee?"

"Stabilized. I think Abby is with him now and Ducky is here," Ziva replied. She paused a moment, not sure what else to say. There were many questions and few answers. "Gibbs, why…"

"That's what I aim to find out," Gibbs replied. Something was missing even though he had gotten an explanation from Ray the bare basics. The details were missing and Gibbs suspected that there were things that Ray didn't know but someone else knew. The exchange between Ray and the leader of the group indicated that there was more to this.

Gibbs knew he needed to have a long overdue conversation. He looked at Ziva and said, "Go home Ziva. You and Tony."

Gibbs walked out of the room and started down the hall after a brief pause to check on Tim. He knew that Ray did what he had to and once the drugs wore down and he had more rest, the reality was going to hit hard. He would be there though to make sure that his friend knew that he didn't blame him in the least; Ray would have enough heckling once this got back to Vance and the others. Right now he had work to do.

* * *

It was getting late and yet Ziva hadn't left. Neither did Abby who was with Tim. Tony had left earlier, volunteering to check up on Tim's dog Jethro. Ziva was sitting in Ray's rooms. So far he hadn't stirred since Gibbs had talked him down. Out of curiosity, she checked the patient's chart and saw that he had been administered a sedative. He would be out the rest of the night and Ziva couldn't blame the staff for that. She understood that they didn't understand what he was doing and they were just taking precautions.

Sitting there, it gave Ziva time to think. She wasn't thinking of the events of the past hours but rather events that occurred years ago. They were thoughts that had been on her mind since she first set eyes on Ray.

Her thoughts took her back to a mission that she had been assigned to for Mossad. The region they were in was highly volatile with a regime that was… terrible. Her mission was to make sure the Israeli dignitary was gotten out of the area. At the time there was a disturbance that had stirred tensions higher than ever. There were shouts about Americans stealing technology or something akin to American prisoners escape. Some talked about Americans killing soldiers and other things geared to enrage the people.

Ziva have managed to complete her mission and was waiting for extraction when she came face to face or rather she found two bodies that had been hidden behind a stall. One had a seriously head injury and the other had an arm and abdominal injury and was bleeding out. He had appealed to her for help.

Ziva recalled the face but it was covered with the black oil paint used by SEALs and other black ops groups. She frowned as she tried to recall details. She was almost certain when she heard, "Ziva, why aren't you home?"

Ziva looked up to see Abby looking down at her. She looked at Ray and then back at Abby, "I just... needed to think. How's McGee?"

Abby took the seat next to Ziva and looked at Ray, "McGee's doing fine. He'll be out of it for a while. Ducky said that he was going to be okay. Raymie is the one I'm worried about."

Ziva thought about it for a moment before she replied, "Abby, what you did to talk him down… that was very brave and foolish. Ray could have hurt you."

"Oh Raymie could never hurt me," Abby replied in a matter of fact tone. True she had been scared but she had trust in Ray's affection for her and his upbringing in regards to how he treated people who were family. "He's like Gibbs… sort of. He won't do anything to hurt someone he considers a teammate or family."

Abby's confident answer was rather interesting to Ziva. She asked, "How did you two meet?"

Abby looked at Ray who was asleep and was glad that Gibbs managed to convince them not to use restraints. She did feel bad that he was going to be pissed at being knocked out like that with a sedative. She replied, "When he worked with Gibbs. It was before Tony… replaced him as senior field agent."

That was something that Ziva decided could be asked about at another time. "You seem pretty close to trust that he wouldn't hurt you."

"That's Raymie for you," Abby replied. "He's like a big brother. I love him like a brother and he treats me like he would his sister. I know it's a bit more like spoiling me but he is also fair and not afraid to be a disciplinarian. He once scolded me."

"And Gibbs let him get away with it?" Ziva was amazed at that. She knew that Abby was the favorite with Gibbs.

"Raymie's Gibbs' favorite too." Abby couldn't help but smile at that thought. "Gibbs would cover Raymie if he would allow it but Raymie's not like that. He's the kind to take responsibility for anything that he is involved with. I can say this though, Raymie has Gibbs' six until the day he dies. It goes back to when they first met and Gibbs almost shot him."

"Undercover?"

"Raymie's one of the best. He had Gibbs thinking he was a drug runner until Gibbs got him in interrogation. Plus the forensics exonerated him. He's good at investigation."

Ziva gave a slight smile. She remembered how he had touched her to make a point with Caldwell's murder. She had given an annoyed look but the feeling was anything but that. "I know. I saw it with how he determined Caldwell's bullet wound."

"That's not the half of it."

"If you mean the computer thing, I know he has McGee hooked," Ziva pointed out. At that point, she and Abby decided to step out in the hall. Even though both injured agents were knocked out for the night, it was a courtesy to let them rest in peace. She remembered how Tim couldn't stop watching Ray with that laptop even though he wasn't doing anything on the investigation.

"Raymie is a genius with security systems. It was a chief hobby he had and it drove the Colonel insane."

"The Colonel?"

Abby hesitated slightly. She realized that she had probably said a little too much about Ray's personal life. It had been told in confidence and she knew that Ray told things on his own time. She wondered if he would appreciate that but Abby knew that the rest of the team was a little frustrated since they didn't know much about him except that he and she and Gibbs knew each other. She knew though that Ziva needed to talk a little. The whole thing was a blatant reminder of what happened when Dearing blew up NCIS. She explained, "Raymie's dad. He was a colonel with the Marine Corps. He was part of a research team I think with highly contagious viruses."

"It's okay Abby. I won't tell," Ziva replied, guessing that Abby had accidentally revealed something that Ray wouldn't share unless he felt like it. "Do you know about his daughter?"

"Nila? She's a sweetheart. It was so nice of Raymie to take her in," Abby replied, eager to get away from the more sensitive part of Ray's personal life. "We talk weekly. The first time we saw each other was about a year after she was orphaned."

"Do you know how she was orphaned?"

"Bad accident."

Ziva didn't push anymore on that issue. She figured that Ray had told her what he did because he trusted her. She wasn't going to violate that. She replied, "That's terrible."

"It was but she's happy. Raymie loves her to pieces."

Ziva could agree with that. She had seen the look in Ray's face when he spoke of Nila. She looked at the two rooms. She didn't want to leave but if they didn't, they would be feeling it at work in the morning. The events of the past few hours had her determined to find these guys and catch them. She suggested that she and Abby go home and made plans to visit the patients the next day.

Ziva though didn't go home. For some strange reason she went in the direction of Ray's apartment. She remembered the directions he gave the night before after their dinner and walk and parked in the same place. She took the time to look at the place and the area that it was in.

The building was like many others. It was a decent neighborhood and gave that appeal of quiet elegance. From what she could recall of DC, Ziva knew that this wasn't the upscale part of town. It was made to look like it and the people that lived there were mostly middle class and they kept up their homes. If she found it kind of strange she wasn't going to make anything of it. Besides from what she had observed, Ray was the kind of person to not make a big deal about having funds; something he clearly had since he owned a company.

Ziva was curious about the man though. Even though they were going to get the guys that hurt two members of the team, she wanted to know more about one. She had been having memories from past missions when she was Mossad and it all started when she first met Ray. She wanted to know more and not from the redacted personnel file that Tony managed to dig up.

Heading up the stairs and to the door that was his place, Ziva glanced to make sure no one was watching. She didn't have a key so lock picking was going to be her way in. She pulled a hairpin from her hair and inserted it into the lock and began to work the lock. She was grateful that no one was being a nosy neighbor and she had the door open and was inside.

When she had been there the night before, she had not really taken a good look of the place. She had seen the living area, the kitchen and the room that she had woken up in. Now she was able to take appreciation of the place. The furniture looked expensive but it was clearly used. It looked a bit like a bachelor pad but it had an air of elegance. It actually looked like something to find in a middle class home. It surprised her though when she turned to find a piano tucked away in a corner.

"You are full of surprises," Ziva muttered as she took a moment to look around. She went to the kitchen and found the refrigerator nearly empty except for the makings of what they had for breakfast that morning. It wasn't too surprising since he had just gotten there.

She was brushed out of her thoughts when something beeped. She looked around and followed it to the source. It was a cell phone; that was a no brainer. She found it tucked in a drawer at the desk in the small nook that served as an office. She didn't recognize the number that was showing on the caller ID. Immediately her training kicked in and she was tempted to answer it. There was the possibility that it could be related to the whole incident that occurred at Leland.

Deciding to answer it, she slowly put it to her ear and clicked to receive the call. She looked around the room and waited. What she heard on the other end surprised her.

_Hello? Baba?_

The little girl voice at the other end startled Ziva. She was expecting something like a call from the leader of that group. She didn't miss the exchange between that guy and Ray. They knew each other and probably once worked together at one point.

_Baba?_

Ziva heard the little voice on the other end. She replied, "Um… this is Ziva. Who is this?"

_Ziva? Where's my baba? He was supposed to sing our song._

The voice sounded a bit petulant but also sad. Ziva picked up on it and asked, "I am a friend of your baba. He cannot come to the phone right now. Is something wrong?"

_Something bad happened to Baba. I had a bad dream and Baba was hurt._

Ziva wasn't sure of what to make of it. Come to think of it she wasn't even sure how Ray's daughter was calling. Ray's cell phone was with his personal effects at the hospital. Right now though, she had a scared child that needed some reassurance. She replied, "Habibitti, it's okay. Your baba is just fine. He cannot talk to you right now but…"

_Baba is hurt isn't he?_

Ziva heard the demanding tone. She couldn't bring herself to lie to the girl. "He did get hurt but the doctor needs to check him out."

_Baba will be okay?_

Ziva couldn't help but smile. It reminded her of her sister that she had loved with all her heart the way how the little girl on the other end was asking about her father. She replied, "He will be fine. He does not have permission to not be fine."

_Will you look after Baba?_

Ziva felt her lip quiver slightly. "I will make sure he does what the doctor tells him to do."

_Promise?_

"I promise," Ziva replied. Suddenly she felt the desire to meet this child.

_Baba will be okay. He says that a good team always has your six no matter what. Shukran Ziva. You have a pretty voice._

"Afwan, little one," Ziva replied, the Arabic flowing easily. She looked around the apartment as she held the phone to her ear. "Are you supposed to be in bed now?"

_Yes but I had the bad dream of Baba. Baba usually talks to me and then he sings our song._

Ziva was familiar with the lullaby that Ray had sung before. She had heard him and he had a nice voice. It was rich and deep but it also had a gentle timbre to it. She looked at a wall hanging that had Arabic script on it and replied, "Would you like me to sing to you? Your baba told me that you like a lullaby that my mother used to sing to me."

_Baba told you about our song? He must really like you. He doesn't like to talk about private things and he doesn't talk in Arabic or Hebrew. Most people think he's a bad person if he does._

It was rather heart wrenching to hear that. Ziva knew full well what it was like to be disliked because of something that was a part of you. Even though she had known the man for a full day, she felt bad that something like that would happen to someone who had a gentle disposition. He was like Tim but he had a sternness like Gibbs; almost like what Tim could be when he actually took the time to stand up for himself. She replied, "Your baba was singing when I was leaving work and I asked and he told me about it and about you. He really loves you."

_Baba is the best. Can you sing our song Ziva? Ziva is a pretty name._

Ziva couldn't help but smile. She replied, "Thank you and I think Nila is a pretty name too. I would love to sing your song. Are you in bed?"

_Now I am. Please sing Ziva._

Ziva couldn't help but give a slight chuckle. She had heard the rustling indicating that the little girl was in bed. She glanced at her watch and saw how late it was but she didn't mind. She spoke in Arabic in soothing tones and then she began to sing the Hebrew lullaby that brought back memories of when she was a little girl and she felt herself smile when Nila joined in with her. She hoped that Ray would be okay after everything.

* * *

**A/N:** So we are right where we were in the beginning. Looks like Ziva learns a little more about the girl that stole Ray's heart. Stay tuned for more Operation Dead Zone...


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

It was early but never early for Gibbs. He had gone to pick up a cup of coffee before heading to the bullpen. The events of the past few hours had everyone on his team shaken but they were willing to get to work. There were the reports to file and of course Balboa's team would want to ask questions. They were handling the situation at Leland and Vance wanted to make sure that the investigation regarding two of his agent's injuries were carried out in a professional manner.

Taking a detour Gibbs stopped to grab a Caf-Pow for Abby. He knew that she was down in her lab and was ready to process any and all evidence. He also wanted a chance to check up on her and make sure that she was okay. It took a lot of courage for her to stand up to Ray like that in that state. He had to admit that he was scared but not of Ray but for his old probie. He knew what Ray was capable of and the potential for it to be taken the wrong way.

Gibbs took the time in the elevator to mentally prepare for anything that Abby would throw at him. He left the elevator and took the well-worn path towards Abby's domain. He had his coffee in one hand and the Caf-Pow in the other. Abby was not to disappoint.

Abby was processing the rest of the program that Tim had been running when they both made the unexplained exit. She had the feeling that there was a lot on there that Ray knew and wasn't going to explain or he wasn't allowed to explain. She was willing to bet on the latter since she knew that Ray was not one to keep secrets with her. She was the first he told when he got a daughter and even introduced the two of them on the video chat he established. She knew that there were things that her loveable brother did that couldn't be explained and she didn't hold it against him.

She heard her lab doors open and correctly guessed that it was Gibbs. She said, "I haven't gotten the evidence from Balboa's team yet but I started finishing what McGee was looking at before everything last night."

"That what had Ray say they were re-enacting Dead Zone?"

Abby brought up what she had been working on. She had managed to piece together more of what Tim had been working on. "Yes. Embedded within the emails Caldwell sent to Rawlings were pieces of files that I can assume were classified. McGee managed to piece together a mission template along with blueprints." She brought them up on the screen. "From the looks of things it appears that Lt. Caldwell was trying to hide what he knew."

"But the emails mentioned about revealing the truth?" Gibbs frowned slightly.

"Yes but I think given the fact that this is something that the people on the mission would have, I'm thinking that Lt. Caldwell was a part of it," Abby replied as she looked at Gibbs. "Meaning…"

"Meaning that Caldwell was an inside man," Gibbs finished. He noticed that there were pieces missing. "Why are there parts missing?"

"That's the thing Gibbs," Abby replied as she typed into her computer. She pulled up screens showing a program running and a file that was still being built. "Since Caldwell broke it down and embedded it within his emails, it's hunting for the whole thing piecemeal. Luckily Ray gave me a program that McGee adapted to finding files with similar encryption. It's slow but it knows what to look for. Some pieces I found appear to be personal notes like observation notes and they are all labeled JJR-8963. Still working on those."

That was all Gibbs could ask for as he handed Abby her Caf-Pow. He was about to leave when Abby asked, "Gibbs, does this have something to do with what happened to have Ray exiled?"

Gibbs didn't have the full picture yet but he was beginning to think that Caldwell was being a whistleblower and he threatened to spoil any plans that the crew that busted into Leland. Rawlings stumbled onto something and alerted his partner and they started working on this. There were still pieces missing so he wasn't sure of what to say to Abby. Instead he gave a gentle kiss to Abby's forehead and said, "Keep working on it Abbs."

Abby watched as Gibbs left her lab. She knew that there was something connected and she aimed to find it. This was bigger than just the deaths of Corporal Rawlings and Lt. Caldwell. She had to find it and it was in the emails. She let the computer do its work and got ready to process the evidence collected by Balboa's team.

Meanwhile Gibbs headed back up to the bullpen. This whole case had been creating more questions than answering them. It wasn't the first case that involved operations that were deemed need to know that his team had gotten involved in. It was different though because it involved one of his people… actually it involved two of his people. It made him more determined to get the rest of this group. They may have two in interrogation and one under Ducky's knife but Gibbs wasn't going to stop until he got them all. He took a sip of his coffee ignoring the fact that it was still hot but it did enough to give him drive.

Tony and Ziva were at their desks writing their reports. Since the incident, they were being told to cool their heels literally and be prepared to make formal statements to Balboa's team. It was part and parcel of the whole protocol thing but Gibbs thought they had better things to do like getting to tracking down the ones that escaped.

Gibbs was about to head to his area when he was noticed Vance looking at him. He could tell that the director had been waiting for him to show up. It was to be expected since Ray had been put on his team and he had been told to virtually babysit the man. So this was an accountability meeting. He diverted his course and headed up the stairs to meet the director.

Tony had noticed the change in course and managed to look busy while watching Gibbs go meet with Vance. "Looks like Gibbs is being called in to report."

"It makes sense," Ziva offered. She took a sip of the hot tea that she had made to wake her up since she had spent more than necessary consoling a little girl who was anxious about her father. She had noticed as well and imitated Tony's example of looking busy while speculating. "McGee and Ray were injured in the line of duty."

"True but more likely it has to do what Salazaar told us before we went in."

Ziva typed up a bit more of her report as she listened to Tony. There was no doubt that it had to do with Operation Dead Zone. What happened next was up to Director Vance. If she knew Gibbs, he would continue to work the case and she would be willing just like Tony would. She replied, "I agree."

Tony paused in his report to look up. He then looked up a few things that he had put feelers out for. He still had a few friends in Baltimore PD and they could reach out. This was for McGee and by extension Ray. He was still suspicious of a few things but the guy did nothing except try to help and he went to grab McGee during the firefight and pull him out of danger. He had asked his contacts to see if there was any talk on the street of hires or stolen vehicles. It was a longshot but since these guys escaped, there was a possibility that they had to change vehicles and also he asked for a peek on suspicious leases. He started checking. "Anything on possible terrorist attacks?"

Ziva looked at Tony. She had been using her contacts to see if anyone was in business for a major weapon. That hadn't been their angle before but since the suspects took what they were after… well it was what Ray suspected they were after. She didn't understand the technical aspects too much but she got the impression that Leland's nanite technology would be worth a fortune especially since they can be programmed to do just about anything; assassination attempts or terrorist attacks would be the most obvious.

She checked her email and noticed that she got something. She opened the email and began to read what was being sent. She also had another that was from an old friend with Mossad. It was for something else but it was something she wanted to avoid asking her father Eli about. She decided to save that for later and continued on the Intel that her contact sent her. What she found was rather surprising.

* * *

The room was dark except for a couple of desk lamps that were on to bring some relief to the eyes. There was an odd collection of action figures, electronics and posters that would have been classified as a geek haven. It actually was a haven.

Danny Chen was fast asleep in his work chair. He had been working on a web page for a client and had just made a bundle off of it. He then spent the rest of the night surfing the net and looking to see what else he could get into. He wasn't top student at MIT for nothing, but that really wasn't impressive with girls since he was rather wiry thin but he wasn't too bad looking.

Danny worked late into the night trying to stay off the watch list for the FBI since he was good at hacking. There were a few servers that he would have liked to get into but the firewalls were something else. His latest exploit was the server for a biotech firm that recently came onto some government contracts. Being the conspiracy theorist he was, he was curious about it and had been trying to get into the system. His efforts though had been blocked by the firewalls and a security bug that was persistent but there was a benefit though.

There were some email exchanges and he had an in to the firm but there was nothing there. He felt that it was a bust. He left off on it even though he got some strange emails following that exchange. He couldn't figure it out but filtered them and worked on them when he wanted to try something new in trying to figure them out.

At that moment the computer was off and the keyboard was nestled in the crook of Danny's arm. He was fast asleep and his head seemed to be bent at an unnatural angle. He was in a deep sleep even though the cans of soda, bottles of water and the bags of junk food were lying about on the nearby desk table and spoke of possible hyperactivity.

The computer suddenly turned on being awoken from the sleep mode it had slipped into. The current screen showed a bit of a chat room conversation that had ended hours ago as well as a program screen. Suddenly a window popped up with a prompt and was blinking. The computer began to beep as it was programed to do when receiving an incoming message.

Danny frowned a bit as his eyes slowly opened to the sound of the beeping. He kept a firm grip on the keyboard as he moved his head slowly to stretch out the kink that had formed from his sleeping position. He tried to stifle the yawn that threatened as he stretched. It was then that he saw the prompt blinking on the screen.

"What the…"

Danny sat up and peered at the prompt. He tapped a few keys onto his board and followed the prompt. He was surprised by what popped up on the screen.

"Encrypted? You gotta be kidding me," Danny muttered as he looked at the contents of the package he received. He could read the missive that was the body of the email but the contents were locked. He tried to break them.

The computer beeped and gave him a warning screen but that wasn't enough to deter him. He had a few tricks up his sleeve so he made to implement them. He worked his computer magic and muttered something about why it just didn't impress the girls. It was a rhetorical question but it served to encourage work towards cracking it.

_Danny are you up yet?_

Danny rolled his eyes. He shouted, "I'm up Mom. I'll be down in about thirty minutes."

_You better be down._

"I will Mom!"

Danny rolled his eyes as he finished typing in a sequence he wanted to implement. His work paid off when the computer beeped and the package was opened. He gave a double fist up and waved them wildly in the air. He then went to work at sorting it out until he clicked on a file. It opened up a window and showed what looked like a live data feed. He was getting what looked like statistics on something along with a digital video recording.

Peering at the data, Danny frowned. He couldn't do anything to it but he checked the source. It was from his contact at the firm. He peered at it and muttered, "What the hell?"

* * *

Gibbs took a moment to finish his cup of coffee before being in a position to talk to Director Vance. He tossed the empty cup into the waste basket as they moved into the director's office. He waited until the door was closed and Vance asked, "So do you have anything?"

"Nothing we don't already know."

Vance looked at Gibbs whose face was like an unreadable mask. "What do you mean by that? Gibbs, Agent Salazaar was under your supervision. Did he give any details as to how he knew that this was a reenactment of Dead Zone?"

"He gave us the bare bones. Basic information on what it was but nothing in detail."

"And you didn't grill him on it?"

Gibbs raised his brow slightly but his face was still that firm mask he had. He replied, "He's not a suspect Leon. You brought him in and he took the third degree because he was expected to and he expected it."

"And I know his track record. If anything he would have confided to you." Vance held up the personnel file with Ray's name on it. He put it back on his desk where he had been reviewing it the past two days in between everything else. "I told him he had permission."

"He follows rule four."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that he would keep it to himself unless he saw the need to reveal it," Gibbs finished. "He was on need to know orders long before I met him."

"But I get the feeling that he trusted you and told you more than he should have," Vance countered.

"He has but not this time." Gibbs paused to notice the look on Vance's face. It looked like the usual but it also had a hint of anger in there mostly out of frustration. He continued, "The man has a family Leon. The last time he followed orders and completed a mission he was burned for because it was deemed a failure and sent to the middle of a desert. He's walking the straight and narrow on this one but at least he said something when we found it."

"Nevertheless, this is not going to be read well." Vance paused and then asked, "How are Agent's McGee and Salazaar? I heard there was an incident."

Gibbs made a slight movement with his head. "They're fine. Docs have them under and says they're gonna make it." He wasn't going to give any more than that unless Vance asked for it. It was going to be hard to explain Ray's behavior in trying to protect Tim.

Vance looked at Gibbs with a hint of suspicion. He wasn't going to go there on that. Besides there were more pressing matters. "Alright. So have we identified the players who robbed Leland?"

"Two we have for interrogation. One was named by Salazaar."

"So he knew them?"

Gibbs felt something twinge in his gut that this was going somewhere that may not turn out to be pleasant for the parties involved on their side. Still he gave answers and paid attention to what was being implied. He replied, "He said it was a reenactment of Dead Zone, down to the letter; how they infiltrated to the explosion in the lab. What he said was probable was there."

"Is one of the prisoners the one he named?"

"No."

"Do you have the name?"

Gibbs finally asked, "What's this about Leon?"

"Answer the question Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs knew that this was serious. It could spell hot water for an agent that wasn't even there to defend himself. He countered, "Is this about what went down in Leland?"

"One of your agents aided the enemy into getting a piece of biotechnology that was in development for the Pentagon. There is a question of loyalties." Vance gave a hard look at Gibbs to show that he wasn't kidding.

"He was trying to save McGee. If there is one thing that they would exploit is the fact that he will go down fighting for one of his people." Gibbs returned the hard look with one of his own. The accusation that Ray set them all up stung and it enraged him thoroughly.

"That is the point Jethro," Vance countered. "Since this was spearheaded by a member of the team sent into that operation, it calls into question of whether or not all of them are culpable in this. Your boy included."

It then dawned on Gibbs. He replied, "You didn't want his help. You wanted to see if he would betray us."

"Not me. Sec Nav had doubts about bringing him in since we were first made aware of activity of a major arms deal and members of that team popped up. He wanted him on a short leash Gibbs but I extended it since I trust your judgment." Vance knew this was difficult. He didn't like this at all either and it had occurred to him that this was what the thieves wanted.

"He didn't do it with that intent Leon. He refused before they shot McGee."

Vance had turned to look out the window. This was a difficult situation. "I'm sure I'll read about that in Balboa's report." He then turned to face Gibbs. "Understand this Jethro, this op that has been dug up has everyone nervous up at the Pentagon."

"I get it that it has to do with the next stage in warfare. A computer bug," Gibbs pointed out.

"That's what we've been told but given that they wanted one of the original team on it, I got suspicious" Vance pulled out a file that said classified. "It's not redacted but it feels like there are a bunch of holes. Something happened on that op and the brass are afraid that it's going to be revealed."

"You want my team on it?" Gibbs felt he had to ask. He would have done it anyway but given the sensitivity of the issue, it seemed better to ask for permission this time. He had done it before for Tim when he had him do serious hacking that could have landed him in deep water.

"Keep working it as the Rawlings and Caldwell case. Find them Gibbs."

"You know he's not involved."

"I know but with what went down in Leland, it will surely look that way. I also didn't want to bring it up this way but we did receive footage of Salazaar conversing with another member of his team." Vance studied Gibbs for a reaction and got none. Then again the man wasn't one to show emotion unless he felt it warranted it. "This looks damning Gibbs. Being seen with one of his old teammates…"

"He said the same thing when we brought him on board Leon," Gibbs replied a bit wearily. "Besides he's an undercover. Most of what he does will be looked at with suspicion."

"Don't think I already know that," Vance replied. "The man is good and the brass says the best. I just can't help but have that doubt that he could be playing us. He would know how to do it and be convincing."

"He's not, Leon."

Vance sat down in his chair and sighed, "I know Gibbs." He looked down at the file. Making a decision, he pushed it forward towards Gibbs. "You and your team are the only ones that can see this. When Salazaar is awake, convince him to go into detail on this."

"I think he will without my help," Gibbs replied as he picked up the file and looked at it. First glance told him it was like what Abby was uncovering from the emails. He studied it and recognized a few key things. As he did so, he replied, "He's been taking this case cautiously and now he is being pushed. He will say something."

Vance watched as Gibbs thumbed through the file. He replied, "He better because as it stands it looks like he was a part of this even though he was injured trying to help Agent McGee."

"I find it hard to believe that he would be a part of it since he was injured in roughly the same places he was on the original op. I doubt someone in on it would risk the pain to make it plausible." Gibbs finished thumbing through it. He tucked it under his arm and mentally made a note of his next designation.

"Anything is possible Gibbs," Vance replied. "I read on how you two met. Concussion and stitches and he still tried to brush it off like it was nothing."

"Bravado and dedication."

"Maybe so but that doesn't mean that it isn't possible." Vance looked at Gibbs for a moment before continuing, "Either way, he's the only one who knows all the details."

"Maybe," Gibbs offered.

Before Vance could reply, his phone rang. He gave a look at Gibbs that told him to wait while he answered since the conversation wasn't finished. He picked up the phone and answered, "Director Vance."

Gibbs watched while Vance conducted his phone conversation. He couldn't hear what was going on at the other end and the responses the director was giving weren't very reassuring either. They could have been related to something away from the current case. He tucked the file under his arm and waited.

"Thank you," Vance replied as he finished his conversation and hung up. He then turned to look at Gibbs. His expression was slightly amusement but also strained as he said "Well this keeps getting better and better."

"Problem, Leon?"

"That was Bethesda on the line," Vance replied indicating the phone, "It appears that they have a patient missing from ICU."

"McGee?"

"Agent Salazaar. Apparently he walked down the hall on the pretense of using the restroom and didn't come back. They found his IV in the bathroom and personal effects gone. Still saying that he isn't a part of this?"

"Yes."

"Then you better find him Gibbs. Once this gets out, he may become a wanted man."

* * *

**A/N:** What did Ray do this time? Looks like Gibbs will have to be the lifeboat. Stay tuned for more Operation Dead Zone...


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Ray slowly opened his eyes to minimize the glare from the hospital fluorescent lighting. His hearing and olfactory senses were already awake and he was aware that the sedative he had been given was wearing off and he could feel the dull throbs that reminded him that he had been shot twice but the one in his lower back was something else. He couldn't recall where that injury came from but that didn't matter. His head hurt and he was focused on getting his vision on track.

The glare became bearable and his vision came into focus. With that came the memories of what happened. He recalled clearly him hobbling with Tim towards the exit. There was the bomb and then he was flying through the air and they hit the wall. Ray remembered that he tried to protect Tim from the worst.

Ray moved to sit up and felt the throb in his lower back. He gritted his teeth and eased himself up on the bed and grumbled at the tubes and wires that he was hooked up to. As he looked at the monitor on his finger he flashed back to the night before. He recalled standing over Tim and he was holding a chair and then voices and there was Abby but the voice was different. The emphatic sounds of a language that he knew well…

"Oh you're awake. How are we doing today?"

Ray looked at the nurse that came in with a slightly raised brow. He never could understand why nurses insisted on that 'we' thing. It sounded silly and it was a bit annoying.

_But it was never annoying when you were teasing her._

Ray ignored his thoughts and replied, "A little groggy."

"Any pain?"

That was a trick question in Ray's mind. If he said no he would have been quizzed further. If he said yes then they would pump him full of drugs and that he couldn't afford. He had work to do and he couldn't do it while sitting in this hospital bed. If he remembered DZ, then it was just beginning and he wasn't going to let it fall through. He would protect his team.

Looking at the nurse he replied, "A little stiff in the back."

"No wonder since you decided to run around and swing a chair," the nurse replied.

_I guess I was really getting serious._ Ray made an apologetic face as the ruminations of a plan came to mind. "I don't remember anything about that but I apologize. Tim's my partner. How is he?"

The nurse smiled once she caught his apologetic smile. She replied, "He's doing fine. He's still asleep but the doctor says that he is doing fine."

Ray smiled pleasantly. Inwardly he was relieved. He liked Tim and he read between the lines regarding Tim and Abby. He had eavesdropped on their chatter while he had been pretending to take a nap even though he had been feeling feverish. He still was but that didn't matter. He promised himself that he wouldn't hurt his Scuito Bug and if this plan were to work, even if it was bullshit, things would be okay. "That's good."

"From your chart, you are doing fine yourself."

"I have high standards even when I'm injured. I don't expect anything less." It was simply flattery and it worked. Ray hoped that his on the fly plan was going to work. He shifted slightly and then made a show of being embarrassed. "Um I need to use the bathroom."

"That's fine. Your IV is moveable," the nurse replied.

Ray tried to keep his irritation to a minimum by the nurse's response. Seriously? He knew he was going to have to spill it out for her. He replied, "Um… is there a way I can get a pair of scrub pants please?" He threw out a look that he had used a few times before and worked well on Abby when he tried to get something from her.

The nurse studied Ray with a hint of suspicion. The floor was under orders that he was not to be restrained but they were also to keep him from leaving. "I'll get you a robe."

"Please. I promise I'll be good."

The nurse saw the look. She was still suspicious but she didn't think he was going to do anything serious. Besides, the nurses' station was keeping an eye on things. She gave a slight nod and replied, "Alright. I'll get the pants and a robe but you still have to wear the gown."

The art of compromise; it was a game that Ray was very familiar with. He suspected that Gibbs must have said something to the staff especially after what he suspected he did the night before. He could work with it. It would be a slight delay but he could make it work. He agreed, "Alright. Thank you."

The nurse left and was back with a pair of scrub pants and the robe. Ray was grateful that she was giving him some privacy to pull them on. She even brought him his shoes and for once he was glad that he hadn't been dressed in the suit and tie. Even though his field boots looked a little out of place, they worked for the purpose he had in mind. It was short work getting everything on and he was out of bed with little problems even though he had dull throbs on his body and he was nursing a slight headache that started.

It was slow work but he was able to prove that he could move on his own steam and the nurse left him alone. He managed to get into Tim's room without being seen just to take a peek. He found Tim still asleep more likely from hospital grade painkillers as well as the need for his body to rest. Slipping into old habits, he picked up Tim's chart and read the contents. He was no doctor but he got the gist of things and pursed his lips at the content.

"Sorry about this McGee. Maybe I should have just gone along with this," Ray murmured as he looked up at the ceiling and at nothing in particular. Slowly he ran a hand through his hair and gently rubbed his head. He felt like an idiot standing there and dragging an IV with him.

Deep down he knew that this was a complete reenactment of that op that was a success in that they got out but a failure because one of the scientists died. Also what the scientist had been working on was gone too. Well actually something survived since Leland had control of it. Now Simkins and his crew had it and knowing how his ex-teammate could carry a grudge, he was going to take it out on someone related to it. The problem was finding who or what or where.

Ray also knew that he was going to be under scrutiny. After all he aided Simkins into breaking into the vault. He was on thin ice as it were. He knew that Simkins would retaliate if Gibbs and the team went after them and they would since it was a national security issue and it was their job.

Standing there looking at the sleeping Tim, Ray came to a decision. It was going to look bad all around but he knew what he had to do. He got close and whispered something in Tim's ear before exiting as quietly as he had entered. He headed down the hall to the bathroom like he said he would and disappeared into it. It was time to put the plan into action even though he knew that this was going to get him sent to the office for a definitely longer period of time and he was going to have to endure the Gunny's rage and that was assuming he was even going to make it out alive since he was being stupid and running around with stitches in his back, hip and arm and not to mention the shoulder injury from his workload in exile. It was going to be a nasty business.

Once inside, Ray studied the IV and grabbing paper towels, he pulled it out and applied pressure with the towels to staunch the bleeding. He was free of that thing. The next thing was to get rid of the gown and the robe and for that he needed to be fast. Sighing he pulled out the tube of painkillers that were among his personal affects like his wallet, cell and a couple of things that he never left anywhere without. He opened the tube and popped two in to be on the safe side. It will be a while before they come into effect but it was a start.

It was like being undercover again as he peered around corners to make sure that the nurses weren't watching for him. It was awkward since he occasionally gave a hop step to give him momentum and speed. He finally managed to find what looked like a closet or locker room for doctors. That was really good for him.

Lock picking was a skill acquired and for some it was a gift. Ray managed to get a locker open and found a dark grey T-shirt and a spare scrub shirt that by sheer luck matched his pants. It was even better luck that they fit as he pulled them on and ditched the robe and hospital gown in a wastebasket that was tucked out of sight, out of mind. Pocketing everything he had taken, his bag was probably at NCIS for evidence processing, he sighed and put on a look like he belonged there and started walking down the halls.

It was probably out of politeness that people he came across that they ignored the scratches on his head and there was some redness from the previous night's fight with Laurent's boys. They were probably assuming that he was rough housing in a sport or something and he was fine with that. As he moved, Ray was careful not to limp or give any indication that he was injured or a patient that was hell bent on escaping.

He paused when he hear ZNN on the television in one of the areas. People were watching it even though they were sick and waiting to be treated. He had wound up in the ER but it was the quickest way out. He hesitated to watch what was being reported on the screen. So far it looked like it was being made out a robbery gone bad and it said the suspects were in custody. He raised his brow at that and gave a slight nod that there was someone in custody.

His hesitation almost cost him when he brushed by one of the security guards and apologized. The guard said, "It's all right Doc. Hey you got a nasty scrape there. Playing at the game hard huh?"

Ray played it off, "What can I say? I'm a competitive guy with the old pigskin."

The guard laughed as he turned to answer the phone. Ray didn't waste any time and walked out on his own steam. He suspected they found him missing so he didn't have much time. He picked up his pace and walked out of the ER and headed to where he could catch a cab. Stealing a car wasn't the best thing to do at the moment… at least not until he had a few more things together. He got into the cab and was already heading towards his destination by the time the guard realized he had spoken to the escaped patient.

* * *

Gibbs looked at the director with a firm gaze and asked, "Are you planning on putting his mug out there and hope that someone recognizes him? That's not the way Leon."

Vance looked at Gibbs. "And what do you think we should do? I have two agents injured and one just walked out of the hospital and supposedly worse off than the other. Not to mention that the same agent caused a ruckus by nearly physically assaulting medical staff."

Gibbs inwardly wanted to rag on his old probie until the turn of the century. It did occur to him that in Ray's state at the time, he probably wouldn't have remembered once the sedatives wore off. "He was defending McGee. That was the last thing he remembered."

"You do realize that this is going to look like he is in on it."

"I do but you and I both know that he isn't," Gibbs replied.

"That may be so but from the talk going down, it seems that your boy may know things about Dead Zone."

"Or they think he knows," Gibbs corrected. "He gave us everything he knew we would need. Now he's going to finish it."

"Meaning?"

"It's all in the report Leon," Gibbs pointed out. "Ray knows the score and will do what he has to do."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Vance replied, "If anything Salazaar will be made into wanted man." He looked up at Gibbs and stared intently, "They will go after him and more likely assuming that he is armed."

"They can try," Gibbs replied. He figured that FBI or the Agency would send someone out. At least it gave him the idea to put feelers out with Tobias. At the look Vance was giving him, he explained, "He knows the spy game."

"Are you telling me that he knows how to disappear and that he could have done it anytime over the last decade or so?"

"The man was undercover Leon. Before that, the Navy had him. With what, all I know is that he said if anyone found out the mission, then his team failed." Gibbs knew a bit more than that but what he gave was enough to give the general picture that Vance was forming.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Find him… if he wants to be found," Gibbs replied. He tucked the file under his arm and checked to see if he was given permission to leave. Seeing that it was granted, he left the director's office.

Vance sat at his desk contemplating what Gibbs told him. The personnel file on Ray didn't note that except distinguished service in the Navy and was now reservist while working for NCIS. No details as to units he served in but the undercover assignments were listed.

Gibbs was right in that the man was an undercover. According to the record, he was good at it. He had been able to get inside a couple of rings like black market and drug smuggling without drawing suspicion. Vance had read one in which he had Gibbs convinced he was one of them until he was hauled down to interrogation. The man didn't break cover once. It was certainly a plausible reason of concern for those that knew of his involvement with Dead Zone and why they were calling for FBI or the Agency to bring him in. Vance secretly hoped that Gibbs would be able to find Ray before they did.

Gibbs was silent during his trek down the stairs from the director's office. He needed to speak to Tobias about this. He was to get a surprise when he saw Tobias Fornell waiting for him much to the silent observations of Tony and Ziva. "Tobias."

~0~0~

The office was probably the best place to hold this discussion. At least Fornell was familiar with it and had shared many a conversation with Gibbs on other cases that were equally important. What was new was a younger looking woman that looked like she could eat probies for breakfast. She was from the Pentagon and she was out for blood and she was not happy that she was being made to go into an elevator for a discussion. Fornell just gave a knowing look at Gibbs as he shut off the elevator. Fornell said, "Seems like we're on a tough one."

"Not really Tobias," Gibbs replied. "We know who did it and we have two of them sitting and waiting to be interrogated."

"And the rogue agent?"

Gibbs and Fornell regarded the woman from the Pentagon with slightly raised looks. Fornell didn't know the agent they were discussing but he trusted Gibbs' gut and assessment of character. Gibbs was just being polite in regards to this woman. He replied, "He's not rogue Hicks."

"Aiding and abetting the theft of government property, property of the military, and escape from a hospital? Sounds like textbook definition to me," Hicks replied. She didn't break contact with Gibbs' steely blue gaze with her dark brown one. Her dark colored skin and tightly knotted hair gave the impression that she was not out to make friends but get results. "Not to mention that the one responsible were the ones that recovered the initial technology."

"I'm not denying that he was a part of that op, Hicks," Gibbs replied, "I am denying the assumption that he is rogue. Agent Salazaar has done nothing but aided our investigation into the deaths of Corporal Rawlings and Lt. Caldwell." He watched as Hicks' face flickered with the briefest of emotions when he mentioned Caldwell's name. That was something to think about since he suspected that Caldwell may have been one of the original team members by Ray hadn't recognized the name and he really hadn't seen the face yet.

Hicks, though, was not swayed by the argument. She stared at Gibbs and replied, "And for all you know he was playing everyone. I am well aware of his service record as an undercover agent and he's one of the best NCIS has had in a long time."

"Then you would know that he wouldn't turn against his country," Gibbs pointed out.

"Gibbs, we're here as a courtesy. We were approached to recover Agent Ray Salazaar and bring him in for questioning," Fornell entered trying to keep things from getting too out of hand between the officer from the Pentagon and Gibbs. "My team personally was ordered to bring him in and detain him for questioning."

"And it is my job to make sure he hasn't compromised anything related to the contract at Leland Biotechnics," Hicks entered. She looked at Gibbs with a warning look and added, "I have been instructed to use any means necessary. We are to assume that he is armed and dangerous."

"You're barking up the wrong tree there Hicks," Gibbs pointed out. He could see that the situation was grave. He was going to have to make do with Tony and Ziva if they were going to find Ray and get him back to NCIS. "The only thing that makes Salazaar dangerous is when you point the business end at one of my people."

"I am well aware of his unnatural loyalties," Hicks replied. She was not happy at this whole situation at all. Her superiors had given her specific instructions and so far Fornell was being courteous to the man that was supposed to be keeping a tight leash on a high profile asset. "I am also aware that he is a good shot. Much like you were as a Marine, Agent Gibbs. He is dangerous."

Fornell didn't believe it for a second. He knew that their man they were after could be dangerous but from what he could tell, it was just a bad twist of fate that the ones that robbed Leland were once part of the unit Ray was. He replied, "He is considered a risk, not dangerous, Hicks. As far as we know he figured out that he was going to be blamed for this and is trying to clear his name."

"Then why run?" Hicks turned her pointed gaze to Fornell. "Why run when he could have stayed at Bethesda and be allowed to clear his name?"

Gibbs had thought that over and knew the answer. "He knows they are watching. They will come after us." When Fornell and Hicks looked at him, he explained, "He's my probie and he knows that I will pursue this until we catch them and he knows them. This isn't for profit. This is revenge."

"A nice theory Agent Gibbs but considering that the technology they have is the breaking ground in military application…"

"You mean the next stage in warfare," Gibbs interrupted as he near perfectly quoted Ray. "The techno bugs designed to do whatever you want."

"I see you are familiar with it," Hicks recovered from being interrupted. She really didn't like this man who could be as cool as a cucumber and was known for his ability to judge and usually was never wrong.

"From what Leland provided," Gibbs replied.

"Then you must also be aware that it takes a certain level of expertise to understand the nature of the technology," Hicks replied.

"Crossed my mind."

Hicks was about to say something when Gibbs' cell phone rang. Fornell looked at Gibbs with a look. He knew that Gibbs' team knew better than to interrupt a meeting in the office unless it was extremely urgent. Gibbs himself was puzzled but calmly took out his cell and noticed that the number was not one he was familiar with. He looked at the two and answered, "Yeah?"

_I see that you are out playing with the alphabet soup, Gunny._

Gibbs looked at Fornell and the shared a look. He knew that Hicks was going to catch it and he saw the look. He couldn't hide it and continued, "Yeah considering the hot water you're in Skipper."

_I figured that since I decided to skip out of Bethesda. Go ahead and put me on speaker Gibbs. I know they're in the office with you._

Gibbs made a slight face that could be read as anything as he lowered the phone. He looked at Fornell as he pressed the speaker button. He replied, "Where are you Ray?"

_I could tell you but you know how that goes Gunny. I can tell you that I have my reasons for leaving Bethesda. At least McGee is in good hands._

Gibbs fought to not smile. So Ray knew that by leaving and given the circumstances, security would be added. He knew that his old probie was not one to leave without covering the rest of the team. He replied, "I guess you learned everything I taught you."

_Semper Fi, Gunny. It's not much but… Anyway DZ is still in effect. The hard part was breaking and entering. The second part was the escape… and making a good show of it._

Hicks, though, was not impressed by the way this conversation was turning out. She said, "And how would you know that if you weren't in on it? Were you just biding your time until you came for it and then sell to the highest bidder?"

The silence that followed was deafening and for a moment Gibbs thought that Ray hung up. Hicks was impatient and demanded, "I demand that you answer me. What is your motive here?" She pursed her lips as if that would make the answer come.

_Olivia Hicks, top cleaner for the Pentagon. I kind of figured that they would sic you on me. I'm betting FBI sent Tobias Fornell? Don't be shy Fornell._

Fornell looked at Gibbs and at the look replied, "Yes."

_Alphabet soup._

The chuckle at the other end tried Hicks' patience. "You think this is a joke?"

_Far from it Hicks. Gunny, things will be rough sailing for a while. You might even get a stray pigeon heading your way._

"This is not a game," Hicks countered. "I will send everything I have at my disposal after you to bring you in. I will not stop until you are handcuffed to the interrogation chair."

_ I know you will Hicks and I wish you luck in that endeavor. Fornell I wish you the same._

"I don't know whether to say it is a pleasure or not," Fornell replied. "You are after all a wanted man now." He cast a look at Gibbs and saw that it wasn't one that said that he was going to be pissed at him. It was like Gibbs expected it from this guy. The chuckle was somewhat reassuring since it told Fornell that he wasn't dealing with a heartless ass.

_Gunny, I'd stay close to the squints for a while. Something might be tucked away and needs more piecing together. By the way, when you walked into the office, you looked like shit._

Hicks put two and two together and made five. She pushed the button to turn on the elevator and got out. She pulled out her phone and contacted her man. "Check the Yard. He's here."

Fornell and Gibbs followed at a slower pace. Gibbs had a slight knowing smile on his face. By the time Hicks got her gear together, Ray would be gone. He turned to Fornell and said, "Good hunting Tobias."

"If we get him, we'll bring him in alive," Fornell replied. He gave a handshake to seal the deal.

* * *

**A/N:** The patient may have escaped but that looks like Hicks won't give up and I think Gibbs is not going to make it easy. Stay tuned for more Operation Dead Zone...


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Ray looked at nothing in particular as he disconnected the call. He looked at the burner he had purchase as he brought his other hand to his chin as if to think. He figured that his little call would spark a trace and they would get the burner and they were virtually untraceable. Even if Tim were up and running, he'd hit the same end. Thinking along that line had him wonder how Tim was doing.

The plan he formed on the fly upon waking was a result of years of practice in focusing techniques. He knew from the beginning the moment that he cracked the last of the encryptions that he would be taken the wrong way and be suspect. He also knew that once Team Gibbs and anyone else interested in getting the nanites back started on the move, retaliation would follow. Simkins could hold a grudge and he wouldn't hesitate to take it out on the team.

After getting into the cab, the first stop was to the one place that not even Simkins would know about. It was clichéd but warehouse studio apartment buildings were out of the way and a good place to keep low. This building was one he found when he was with the undercover unit and did the necessary paperwork and had a second place aside from his actual apartment. It was born out of his training.

Ray rubbed his head on his hand and felt the sweat and heat on his brow. His arm throbbed as well as his lower back. The pain killers were wearing off and he was not willing to take more at the moment. He was going to have to take more eventually since he could tell that his injuries were serious. The doc did note that the glass did some work on his kidney and they were able to save it. Lucky him.

When he got to the apartment, he went to through the place to the usual places. The Hole, as he called it, was still there and as untouched as ever. It was the stash when he needed to be someone other than Ray Salazaar and it wasn't just when he was an undercover routing out smugglers and drug runners. He was running shotgun with operatives in those days and he learned more on the job than the few month stint at the farm.

Inside were the IDs that he created when he went to NCIS but never used. There was also cash and a few credit cards and few other important cards like gym memberships and library cards. He also had a stack of passports just in case. He selected the ID he wanted and went to make clothing purchases and other odds and ends including a few burner phones and re-acquaintance with a few of the internet cafes. He had a clean computer but he didn't want to risk that yet. It was then time to get to work and the first stop was the Navy Yard and taking a peek at Team Gibbs as it stood.

He was familiar with the Yard and knew how to get in without raising red flags. Security waved him in and didn't bat an eye. They didn't even notice the bag that had his scouting equipment. He didn't really need to go to the Yard but he wanted to check on Team Gibbs and see how they were doing. Besides he knew that the alphabet soup was going to be there probably as a courtesy to Gibbs. He just wanted to see who. It wasn't hard to guess who top players were from the different agencies and Ray could take a guess at who would be sent.

When he peeked in, he saw Tony playing with his cell phone while working on something on his computer. Tim's desk was empty and surprisingly not messed around with by Tony. He then moved on to Ziva and that kept his attention longer than necessary. Then came Gibbs, Fornell and Hicks. He recognized them off the boat and gave an affirming nod.

It was probably stupid to goad Hicks like that but he had to let Gibbs know especially that he was going to fix this. While it was a reenactment of Dead Zone, there were some deviances. Ray had figured early on that this was about revenge. While it was touching that they were doing it to make a point about the wrong that he suffered, he was no traitor and in the end, he saw it as what it was; it was something that happened and there was no going back with it.

Putting the burner down, Ray stood up slowly. It had been a scramble to get back here but it wasn't like Hicks was going to find this place quickly. She may have a lot of things at her disposal but she was playing chess with pretty much a grand master of the game. Besides she would go with his known aliases; she had no idea that he was now Cesar Torres who was a Brazilian national on a student visa. Not one of his best but it was the last place people would think to look. He had travelers' check, cash and an American bank account with modest savings; everything to fly under the radar.

Slowly Ray picked up his regular cell and looked at it. For safety's sake he disabled the GPS and switched cards. Looking at it, he slowly ejected the sim card that was used to store stuff like pictures. Pulling it out, he held it between his first finger and thumb and examined it. If Tim was not hurt, he would have gone straight to him even though he was capable of doing what needed to be done and it was his intention. That was before he saw the bomb.

A bang sounded nearby and Ray did a slight jump. It was nowhere near the sound of the explosion that he and the team had been caught in. Yet it had him jumping and remembering it so well and he considered the whole PTSD thing was happening and it surprised him. Previously he had never suffered the effects but then again he had been younger. Now he was older and had responsibilities. It was the way of things and a part of growing up. It also occurred to him that he was still fresh from the incident and he was still working towards getting this thing resolved.

Taking a breath, Ray put the card into his pocket and went about packing the new shoulder bag full of things that he would need. He knew he needed to find Simkins and his crew. Where they were holed up, they were probably making plans or whatever. It was just a matter of finding them and dropping them neatly into Gibbs' lap. He paused only momentarily to swallow two more painkillers since his hip was throbbing.

A phone began ringing and it had Ray look up. He realized that it was the apartment landline. He raised his brow warily as he walked/hobbled towards it. It continued to ring as he stared at it. As far as he knew, Simkins didn't even know about this place. There was only one other and he died. Slowly he picked up and answered, "Hello."

_It has been a long time._

Ray recognized who it was instantly and was surprised but then again he wasn't. It wasn't brain surgery in this line of work. He replied, "Indeed it has. What do you want?"

_There is not much that escapes my attention in regards to you. I learned that you had returned to your former home._

"You could say that," Ray replied. He looked towards the window that overlooked the street. "I am curious as to how you found me."

_There is much I know about you and you know that._

"And the bill comes to me?" Ray couldn't help with the joke. There were few times that he had a conversation with the caller on the phone and always charges were reversed. It was something that was a joke between them.

_Only when it stops being funny._

"Then I guess I am safe then," Ray replied. He paused a moment as he winced involuntarily from bumping into the cabinet nearby. It hit his bad hip and he gritted his teeth. "Seriously though, why are you calling me and now?"

_Is it hard to understand that I wish to speak with you?_

"A little considering what we've been through. You know I never really liked you spying on me."

_A hard thing to ignore when you are like a son to me. There were rumors of trouble, an international arms deal regarding powerful technology._

"So the grapevine is still in effect," Ray replied as he peeled away the gauze to look at the blood slowly oozing out on his hip. The stitches weren't broken but they had been pulled. That was just perfect. "That's old news."

_And it is related to you. Your name has come up._

"I figured that. I know what it is they are after and they aim to burn me for it again. It's not just about revenge."

_Revenge was the word going around. Martyrdom for you. Vindication for a past wrong._

"That's all well and good but I don't want that. What I want is to find them and bring them in and get it back." Ray applied pressure with a set of paper towels he had retrieved. He was going to have to be more careful if he was going to stay a step ahead of Hicks and her posse.

_You know how to do that. What better person to track them is you? But it does help to ask for help from close and trusted friends._

"That may be difficult. Most of it would be on faith."

_Then faith is all that you need._

Ray listened as the phone clicked and the dial tone came on. He gave a slight chuckle as he hung up the phone. He did get a little bit more information. So there was a deal going down. Probably players would be going be in town and they will get a demonstration. That's what he would do. It was disturbing but practical to think in terms of the enemy. That was how he finally got them out during Dead Zone and he owed it to a Mossad agent for reminding him of that. That gave him an idea.

* * *

Abby was upset. She was more than upset, she was livid. How could they accuse her Raymie like that? He wasn't a traitor. He wasn't what they said he was. It just didn't make sense. She couldn't talk to Gibbs about it because he was with Fornell and that evil woman Hicks who wanted to arrest her Raymie. She knew Gibbs knew that Raymie was innocent. They were like father and son though neither of them acknowledged it. He was Gibbs' favorite.

"Are you okay Abby?"

Abby turned her attention to Tim who was fully awake now. She had gone on an extended lunch to pay him a visit. It was a surprise to see security around but when she learned of what happened, she figured that it was exactly what Ray intended. She looked at Tim and replied, "I'm okay."

Tim knew when Abby was lying. He always knew. Something wasn't right and she knew it. When he had woken up, he had noticed the security wandering around. When he asked, they didn't tell him anything. His first thoughts were what he remembered and that was their suspects getting away with the nanite prototype. He figured a threat had been made and that was the reason for the security.

Seeing Abby though told him otherwise. He said, "The truth Abby. What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Abby, I wake up and see security patrolling like they were expecting a high profile patient or an attack. No one is telling me anything."

Abby looked at her lap. "I'm not supposed to tell you. That evil woman said not to." She played with her hands.

"Then you know what Gibbs would do right? What we would do since we're friends?" Tim was feeling exhausted after getting excited over Abby's reluctance to tell him anything. When she came in she babbled on about how Gibbs and the rest of the team were going to get the guys and that they were close. He didn't buy it and she didn't say a word about Ray. "Abby."

Abby knew that Tim was right. They didn't keep secrets from each other and it seemed like Tim and Ray were getting along. She sighed, "What they didn't want me to tell you is that the security is to protect you."

"Why?" Tim was confused by the whole thing. He wasn't that important unless they dug and they found out about the Admiral.

"From Ray," Abby dropped. She waited for the other shoe to drop and studied Tim, watching for his reaction.

Tim processed what Abby told him and shook his head, "No. That's stupid." He gave a quick look to make sure there were no nosy nurses and whispered, "Do they think that he was in on it?"

Abby nodded, "They do since it was in the report that he broke the into the vault."

"He was trying to save me."

"I know McGee but someone doesn't like him and they want to nail him for it."

Tim thought it was ludicrous. True he had only known the guy for two days but his gut told him that he was good. This was… crazy. His energy levels were dropping as he adjusted his position. It was difficult since his shoulder was in a sling and his abdomen and chest hurt from the glass and bullet wound. "This is wrong Abbs. What's Gibbs doing about it? At least he's defending him right since he's stuck here."

Abby made a slight face and replied, "Timmy, Ray is not here."

"So they have him in custody?"

"He's not here Tim. He walked out this morning taking everything except his clothes and his bag was taken for evidence processing."

It dawned on Tim what Abby was getting at. He attempted to do the same thing and tried to get out of bed. Abby restrained him but he protested, "Abby, we gotta help him out. He's one of us."

"I know Timmy and Gibbs has a plan and Fornell is looking for him."

"Great," Tim muttered as he settled down. He really was in too much pain to think clearly but he did acknowledge that his sudden movements had been stupid ones.

"It's Hicks that I'm worried about," Abby continued as she held onto Tim's hand as he settled down. "She has a vendetta and firmly believes that Ray had something to do with it. I aim to prove her wrong so I've been running that program you started yesterday and pulled some more pieces out of the emails."

Tim was surprised that Abby took that initiative. "I guess you'd do anything for him huh?"

"Raymie's like a brother. He indulges me like Gibbs but he's more authoritative. It's not the same thing as you," Abby replied explaining. "He told me once that I reminded him of his sister."

"Sister?"

"Sylvia. He doesn't talk about her much but…"Abby gave a slight shrug of her shoulder. She then said, "The doctor says that you're doing good. Ducky said he would come by later to see for himself."

Tim recognized the change of conversation and went with it. It must have been bad and he could see that it was looking bad for Ray at the moment. He was confused though. He knew that Ray had gunshots to the arm and his hip and then there was the damage from the bomb. It would take some set of will power to be able to move like that and walk out without being noticed.

Looking at Abby, Tim tried to make her visit pleasant. His mind though was at work. Mostly it was trying to figure out how to convince Gibbs to let him help Abby out with the tech work on the emails. He didn't say anything to Abby about it since she was upset and it seemed that she was mostly upset that someone hurt him. She spoke of using her chemicals to get the guys and put the final nail in the coffin and they would go down.

They had been friends since they broke up and their relationship had its ups and downs. Some he couldn't get like when she scolded him for shooting Jethro. He had been wary and suspicious of the dog when she begged him to take him but now he loved that dog. He was a good companion and was pretty good at the whole guard dog thing since he was trained as a drug sniffer. That reminded him, "Abby, did someone check in on Jethro?"

"Yeah Tony did. I was going to swing by later after work and make sure that he's fed," Abby replied. She didn't blame Tim for thinking of the dog last but she also knew that her Timmy loved Jethro. She knew that they were a perfect fit even though they had been at odds from the beginning and she apologized to Tim later for her behavior. "Don't worry."

"Didn't say I was," Tim countered, hiding the fact that he did have an attachment to his dog and it didn't help that Tony saw the photo of them together.

Abby gave a smirk. "Sure thing Timmy."

* * *

Ziva looked around at the sights. She knew that she was being watched. That was made clear by the unwelcome visitor named Hicks. They had been brought into the conference room and it felt like one of those mandatory workshops about sexual harassment. The only people that had been absent were Tim, Abby and of course Ray but he wasn't counted since he was the one that they wanted. The whole thing was more agitating than anything.

Hicks introduced herself after she concluded a conversation on her phone. From Ziva's view she didn't look happy. When she looked at Gibbs, she got the hint. Apparently Ray had come back and had been spying on them. From the looks of things, Hicks didn't get her man and Ziva couldn't help but be pleased at that.

"I assume you know why you are here." Hicks had wasted no words. "You are here because each of you has had interaction at some point within the last two days with one Agent Ray Salazaar and you all were involved with the incident that happened at Leland Biotechnics."

The rest of the meeting was Hicks stating that they were to report any future interactions with Ray and to aid in the capture of the rogue agent. Ziva felt resentment at that and a glance told her that Gibbs felt the same way and in her opinion he had every right. She noticed that Tony and Ducky were looking offended at this.

True that Ray had only been on the job for two days but Ziva could see that he made an impact. He was quiet in his insertion to the team and didn't step on anyone's toes except maybe Tony's in the beginning but he held the olive branch with the coffee. Ziva was drawn to him for a different reason. He reminded her of someone she had met and the way he looked at her and stood up for her… it was a very pleasant feeling.

There was one thing that thoroughly agitated Gibbs and that was Hicks had arranged a tail for each of them. Everyone on Team Gibbs knew that Gibbs disliked anything or anyone hindering his investigation. Apparently Hicks thought that Ray would try to contact one of them and reach out for help at some point. Ziva wasn't sure since they had only been told the what Tim called the Cliff Notes version of Operation Dead Zone.

Ziva sighed as she waited in line for her lunch. She had decided to go to a café that was fairly public near the Navy Yard. It reduced the feeling of being watched even though she knew she was being watched. She spotted her tail and in her mind he stuck out like a sore thumb even though he was like any other person there. If Ray did decide to contact her, he would have to be crazy. Abby said he was that good.

"You dropped this."

Ziva turned to see a hand holding something out to her. She saw that it was a ticket for her food and realized that she might have dropped it. She took it back, "Thank you."

The owner gave a slight nod and turned to walk away. Ziva watched him leave and turned to pay attention. Suddenly she heard, "Funny how I pegged you to be ever alert."

Ziva tried not to jump at the voice since they were watching. She whispered, "What are you doing here?"

"Checking up on my team," Ray offered as he stood there looking like he belonged.

Ziva took her cue to not acknowledge the fact that she was talking to someone that was wanted by the Pentagon. She thought it was brazen for him to be out there. She replied, "You know you are a wanted man?"

"Of course. I wouldn't expect less from Olivia Hicks," Ray replied. He shifted but made it seem like he was waiting for his order. "She's the top investigator for her division."

"You know this and you still show up? She's having us watched."

"Obviously she expects me to wear the neon sign and waltz right in."

Ziva had to admit that this was crazy and yet she felt a slight thrill that this was happening right under their noses. Still she had to keep her head and not let this blow up and cause a problem. She replied, "Well you may not be wearing the neon sign but you did waltz in. You must know she is watching us."

"I know," Ray replied as he looked off like he was bored. "I had him made the moment you two left the Yard." He thumbed the receipt for an order of food. He had to buy food if this meeting was going to work. "Even you made him. I wouldn't expect less from you."

"You presume much," Ziva replied. She looked at her number. There were a few more before her order came up. "We have only known each other for two days."

"And yet you witnessed my computer savvy Ziv," Ray replied. It had been a slip to shorten her name but he couldn't help it. It suited her in his mind. He continued, "You went through my laptop issued by NCIS. Surely you must have found a few things."

"Just a picture of you and your daughter. She is very beautiful." Ziva flipped her receipt in her hand. She knew that the longer Ray stayed, the greater the risk of getting caught. That was common sense going back to her Mossad days. "Ray do not make this worse."

"Little choice Ziv. Revenge is what they want and they are using DZ to get it."

"They think you are in on it. They want you and Hicks is willing for either dead or alive."

"Wouldn't expect less. They are so busy chasing me that they are ignoring the reasons why."

A number was called. Ray recognized it as his. He moved forward and bumped into Ziva. He ended up leaning forward and it allowed him to say, "Dig deeper. The key is in the emails." Louder he said, "Sorry for that."

Ziva watched as he went to pick up his order at the window. It was then that she noticed the dog that accompanied him. In fact she recognized that dog. She had to work at schooling her features into a controlled calm but she couldn't deny the surprise she saw of Ray walking Jethro, Tim's dog.

* * *

**A/N:** Battle lines have been drawn and Ray is moving forward. And Abby and Tim moment and Ziva gets a surprise visitor. Who is the mysterious caller? More surprises on Operation Dead Zone...


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Danny was trying to break the encryptions on the data that he had. What he had so far were the readings and the video but he was sure there was something more. It was really good and he wondered what his contact was dealing with. It was taking every trick he knew in the book to try and break it but even he had to admit that this guy was better.

He was in the middle of one last trick when he heard his mom shouting that he had a guest. Sighing that he had to quit, he made ready to go and chew out Donnie for being a bonehead and interrupting his program time. He entered the living room where his mom ushered in all the guests and started, "D-Man I told you…"

"Greetings."

Danny stood there in the entrance and looked at the stranger. He had no idea who this guy was but he was older. There were the obvious signs of grey and he looked like a white dude's grandpa. He wasn't sure of what to say since he didn't know the guy. Yet he must have been a charmer to have gotten inside the house with his mother. He replied, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Daniel, manners," his mother hissed as she got up to get some tea.

"Oh it's all right. I did come in unannounced and you weren't expecting me. However I think you might like what I have to say," the stranger replied to soothe over the awkwardness. He then extended his hand towards Danny and said, "I am Gibson. James Gibson."

"Danny Chen," Danny replied as he warily took the hand that was offered to him. He still didn't recognize the guy but with his mom there being the stickler for good manners, he would play nice. "What can I do for you?"

Gibson studied the young man before him. It certainly had been a risk to even come here but the game had changed. It changed long before the introduction of the subject. Then he had been where he had been posted and his partner had been placed. It was a 'genius' idea to remain separated and only contact through the secure network.

He had gotten the message more than a few days ago about the project that they had been monitoring. Connelly, his partner, said that there was one who was getting close to the restricted files. It was a judgment call and one that Gibson hoped would prove to be redeeming and possibly save a man's life in the process. This young man before him was part of that plan that was considered the backup to the server so to speak. Connelly had found him and groomed him, feeding him the right information and getting inside.

Gibson knew something was wrong the moment he got the alert. He traced the downloads and it led him here. It was a relief that their outside man was alive and well but he feared that Connelly was out of the game. Taking in the young man and aware that his mother was listening, Gibson replied, "Actually I was hoping you might be able to do something for me."

Danny looked at Gibson. He was suspicious about the whole thing but the guy was not doing anything that couldn't be considered abnormal behavior. "Really? Like what?"

Gibson had to admit that the kid was good. He probably was on the FBI's watch list in terms of the hackers they monitored, the one that had those that were good but not the best since they got caught. He replied, "I actually run programs for the university but I am in need of an assistant that understands biometrics down in detail."

Danny raised his brow. He may be a hacker but that was one of his specialties, his secret one in fact since he was able to make sense that the readings he was trying to decipher into readable text and numbers involved monitoring systems particularly of the human body. "Really? Someone refer you to me?"

"My longtime associate Connelly was doing scout work for me since teaching, aside from research, takes up most of my time. He said that he found one and gave me your information," Gibson replied as he dropped Connelly's name.

Danny recognized the name. That was the guy that was talking to him about Leland. He replied, "Only Connelly I know of works for a biotech firm."

"That would be him then. Since he knows people and often consults outside his job, I asked him to keep an eye out for me," Gibson replied, pleased that he had the right man. "If you are willing I would like to extend to you a job."

Danny knew his mom was listening. She had been after him to get a job and here was one dropping in his lap and one that was in his area. "Sounds like a good deal. What exactly are you working on?"

Here was the tricky part and Gibson knew that he had to get the boy's attention and stress that they needed to look at what he had on his computer and back it up and the usual. He replied, "Technology that may be able to help in terms of locating soldiers that have gone missing and presumed dead." He used the code that he and Connelly came up with in order to bring the kid on board.

Danny knew what it was about. He had been told by Connelly that whatever he got from him or the 'Professor', as the codename went; he was to back it up, store it until he was asked for help. He was even given the code phrases to look for in the conversation. So here he was with the Professor. He nodded and replied, "I'm all for it. I have some stuff that I submitted in one of my classes that might be of interest to you."

Gibson nodded. He was in and maybe he could finally fix something that shouldn't have been done all those years ago. "I would much like to see it. Mrs. Chen, I am grateful for your hospitality. This young man and I will check on his work and I have to discuss a few things of what he will be doing for me. Thank you."

Danny looked to his mom who was pleased at the whole thing. She was just glad he got a job and she was impressed with the Professor. He stood up and motioned for Gibson to follow him and led him up to his room. Once they were inside he made sure his door lock was on and asked, "Alright, you're here and I got a strange package this morning so I'm guessing that something happened to Connelly."

"You would be right Danny," Gibson replied. "Connelly is dead. Project JJR-8963 is in trouble."

"Okay fine. What do you want me to do?" Danny looked at the Professor. He felt like he was on the verge of possibly a breakdown or something. "I mean you come here and charm my mom into letting you in and you got on her good side by offering me a job that doesn't exist. I wasn't even supposed to meet you."

Gibson let the kid rant a little. He knew it was a big thing to take in. Not everyone handled it with ease. Some seasoned vets he knew sometimes overreacted to the situation. He looked at the kid and felt sorry that they dragged him into this but he had to make sure that there were insurance measures taken since he knew what they were inclined to do. He then replied, "I know Danny. Circumstances have changed and the official prototype of JJR-8963 has been taken. The subject is probably at large and on the run."

"Great. Should I expect a fugitive to arrive on my doorstep too?"

"No," Gibson replied in a matter of fact tone. "The subject doesn't even know about the project. As far as he knows, the technology doesn't exist or it was salvaged from the source."

Danny was well aware that he was getting into something that could prove to bite him in the ass later. Yet when he signed on, he agreed to help them out and he was paid for his troubles. He received regular checks from a consulting firm which he deposited into his account and the amounts were not unusual in terms of fees. "Great. So Connelly is out and it's just you and me."

Motioning to his gear, Danny sat in his chair and brought up what had been sent. "These were the last things sent to me. They were encrypted but I know that these are bioreadings of the human body. Whose… no idea."

Gibson studied the readings. He didn't need them decrypted to know that they were from the subject. They were showing good working order even though the subject was running a fever. That was probably from trauma of some sort and he was really feeling it. "They are the subject's readings. Good he rerouted the signal to here."

"He what? What did Connelly do?"

"He rerouted the signal so that the readings will come here. It should be easy to make the backups as needed."

"Hell no. I can't have G-men busting in my front door and terrorizing my mom… though she might be the one to scare them." Danny was about to type in commands to erase the hard drives and everything.

"Don't do that. It was a temporary measure until we can route it to the backup site. Of course that is going to take a little bit of work." Gibson made a slight face at the plan that he was going to suggest. He knew that it was like going up to a jail and tagging it right in front of the cops. It was akin to a suicide mission.

"Let me guess, you want me to hack a firewall of a government agency," Danny deadpanned aware that this was something he would have thought cool. Of course that was when he thought that he would be caught with potential government secrets that was being monitored off the books or whatever the Professor wanted to call it. He seriously was considering backing out but he knew that a small part of him wanted the thrill of it.

"Something like that but you can re-route everything so it can't be traced back to here. Once I get the signal routed to the backup site things should go smoothly."

Danny raised a brow. He wasn't going to question too much. It seemed like Connelly and the Professor had things all worked out here. He was just going to help and he got the impression that if something happened to the Professor, he was the guy that would be the insurance policy. Well he did say that he wanted more excitement in his life and it looks like he got it even though he thought it would be more like his LARPing or RPGs that he liked to play. "Okay. What do I need to do first?"

"Surveillance."

"Right away Boss," Danny replied he started typing but paused. He looked at Gibson and asked, "You got an agency in mind?"

"Indeed I do. Let me." Gibson replied as he pulled out a laptop. He then wrote something on a piece of paper. "Here you work on that and re-routing the feed. It should be easy since everything is set up. That there is the password and everything."

Danny raised his brow again. He didn't expect that. He looked at the readings and got to work. He would need to go to the second site later and make sure that it was set up. So he was going to put a hold but once the link was established then it would download and save. That was assuming that there was disk space and all that good stuff.

Gibson knew that he was giving his kid busywork but he wanted to keep him out of the serious stuff until he was sure he knew who the players were. Connelly had told him that the original team was in play and one was definitely an undercover. He was suspicious that it went higher but this person was good enough to make sure that it didn't get on the books. He pulled up what he wanted and made sure that he was connected. He smiled when he found what he was looking for. And here they called him a lab squint.

* * *

Ziva knew that she had to tell someone about her impromptu meeting with Ray. The most obvious was Gibbs but given the fact that he was the team leader and therefore the one that was the most watched… it wasn't the best thing. Of course they were all watched and Ziva wouldn't be surprised if their computers were bugged and everything else. So phones and other things were a no go.

She took a moment to think while she rode the elevator. She felt that she was getting a tad paranoid but such was the case when it came to the spy game. She had plenty of that when she was with Mossad. Thinking about it, there were some who would probably say that she had gone soft working for NCIS but personally she thought that it made her stronger. She got to see another side of things and…

Absently she put her hand in her pocket and felt a hard and heavy shape. She frowned as she wrapped her fingers around it. She recognized the shape of it and she knew that something was wrapped around it. She would have liked to have pulled it out but her paranoia was getting the better of her and the possibility that what served as Gibbs' office could be bugged, she wasn't going to take chances; not with Ray's life on the line.

It had been a surprise to see him out in the open and with Jethro, Tim's dog. That meant that Ray had found out where Tim lived and went there. How the dog knew he was a friend was something that would be a secret to the grave she suspected but it was the behavior that was perplexing. He was doing things that someone on the run shouldn't do. He was doing the opposite and she thought that he was crazy and she wanted to hit him.

Luckily the elevator brought her to her destination and she walked out as fast as her legs could carry her and headed to one place she knew that was a sort of safe bet. The familiar doors of autopsy were a welcome sight as she entered in. "Ducky?"

"Ah Ziva, how are you my dear?" Ducky was ever the polite gentleman but he was astute enough to know that with everything going on regarding his patient who escape Bethesda, it was best to act as if things were going well even if they were not. "Did you have a good lunch at the café I recommended?"

"I did," Ziva replied as she walked in. "They have an interesting set of clientele there. I was thoroughly surprised."

"I thought that might be the case. When it was recommended to me I was thoroughly surprised at the atmosphere. It was rather friendly and informal but the young people there were very polite," Ducky began as he rambled a bit. He gave a look in Ziva's direction.

Ziva knew that it wasn't an accident that Ducky had mentioned that café and made the recommendation. She knew that Ray must have found a way to talk to someone besides her and it looked like he managed to talk to Ducky. Since she picked up his word usage, she decided to play along. Her paranoia suggested a bugged room but rationally, you couldn't be too careful. She replied, "I was surprised that there was sit down and take out. The menu was very… colorful."

"Not the typical burger and fries I should think," Ducky replied taking in the fact that there was only one reason why Ziva would come down here. He had his reservations when he got the email in the form of a coupon but he was astute enough to see that it was a message from the young agent that Gibbs was trying hard to find before things got messy. "I prefer the turkey on the toasted wheat. The pickles are particularly tart."

Ziva listened to Ducky talk with a smile. He was just being his usual. She responded, "I had this thing called a wrap. It had hummus as well as tomatoes, lettuce. It was very good but the hummus wasn't like a batch a friend of mine made."

"Interesting. I suppose they have things on the menu that would even entice Tony?" Ducky looked up from his reports that he was finishing.

Ziva thought about it some. She didn't know how Tony would feel about the whole thing since his judgment had been reserved concerning Ray. Initially they were like two bulls but Ray appeared the more docile and accepted it. Still he was a teammate and Tony felt the same way when a teammate was in trouble. She replied, "There are some options that Tony would consider man food, whatever that means."

"Well I guess we may start a trend my dear. At least let Abby know."

"I did notice that there were some Louisiana bayou specialties," Ziva replied as she smiled in acknowledgment. Her thoughts were to go to Abby in regards to what was in her pocket. There were some possibilities but from what she had been able to observe the past few days, Ray was going to give them a run for their money but providing the clues along the way. It was like the puzzle games she liked to play with as a child. "Thank you Ducky for telling me about that place. I think I might go there again."

"You should. One shouldn't try something and then abandon it just like that," Ducky replied. He gave a slight smile as Ziva left autopsy. He knew where she was going next and turned to his reports. At that moment Jimmy came in with some lap reports from Abby and he went about his business of directing Jimmy to a body that another team was working the case on. It was business as usual even though he knew that it wasn't.

Meanwhile Ziva headed up to Abby's lab with a firm beat in her step. It was the pace she normally got when bringing evidence or finding out what Abby found out when she got a chance to go down. She fingered the object in her pocket, feeling a sense of anticipation of finding out what was wrapped around it. By now Abby should be back from her spending lunch with Tim.

She found Abby over Major Mass Spec going over samples she had run before on Lt. Caldwell. She was deep in thought. Off to the side the computer was running some sort of software program and it seemed to be putting something together. Ziva knew that it was doing something that Abby and Tim could understand better than she could.

It was like Abby knew that she was coming since she turned and said, "Hey Ziva, you have anything for me?"

Ziva put her hand in her pocket and pulled out what she had been dying to find out. She took a look and found that a scrap of paper was wrapped around it. She palmed it quickly and held out the cell phone to Abby, "Do you think you could run this?"

Abby took a look at the phone in Ziva's hand. She asked, "Did it belong to one of the guys that hurt Tim and Raymie?"

Ziva wished it was that but all the evidence from their suspects had been collected. Nothing new had come to light from there things, place of residence… the works. She hoped though that what she was going to say would make Abby feel better. She replied, "Not exactly."

Abby looked at Ziva and then at the cell phone that the former Mossad officer produced. She gave a cursory glance at it. "I'm not sure about it but it's going to be tough pulling anything off of that. It's a burner phone and virtually impossible to trace."

Ziva thought it was too much to hope. "Oh."

Abby suspected that there was more to it than that. "Why did you bring it? Was it evidence that Balboa's team missed?"

"Not exactly," Ziva replied. She fingered the paper in her hand. "I was at this café for lunch."

Abby realized what Ziva was saying. She had to curb her enthusiasm a bit. She didn't like that Hicks woman one bit and if she had bugged her lab, she would find out but Gibbs had suggested that she act like she normally would; as if nothing were wrong. She started in her line of questioning and asked, "Which one?"

"It had a varied menu," Ziva replied. "Ducky recommended it and they did have pretty good hummus there. It was like it was homemade."

Abby couldn't help but smile. She knew that Ziva had been treated to Ray's homemade hummus. She knew that he was a bit of a health nut that occasionally indulged in Tony's man food but his favorite was hummus. The recipe was from his mother. Abby remembered how she teased him once about being domestic and cooking. "That place makes really good hummus but the gumbo is pretty good."

Ziva couldn't help but smile. "Good to know. Someone I thought was a suspect dropped it."

Abby nodded. She knew that Ziva didn't think of Ray as a suspect but she went with it. "I see. Well it is a prepaid burner so the only thing I could tell you is make and model and where the batch it was from was shipped to."

"That's a start," Ziva replied. She opened the slip of paper and looked at it.

The note was written in Hebrew which was surprising. Ziva knew that Ray could sing one Hebraic lullaby but as far as speaking it, she knew that that he was fluent in Arabic. She peered at it and noticed that it was fairly formal in its structure.

_Ziva,_

_ If you are reading this, it means that I was able to slip the burner into your pocket and you didn't even notice. I guess I have to say something to Gibbs about that. Anyway the burner is for you to use if you need to call me. Don't worry I have it all set up. My number is programmed into yours._

Abby tried not to be too nosy about the letter. She knew that it was from Ray. She figured that he would reach out to someone. The most obvious would have been her or Gibbs but he must have figured that evil Hicks woman would be watching them all. So he reached out to the people he knew would be able to help. "Seems like you have a secret admirer," she said in a teasing tone.

Ziva gave a slight smile. After the first paragraph was a poem. She couldn't remember where exactly she had heard it from but it was familiar. She recognized that it was a clue in terms of getting in contact with him. She thought he was taking an awfully big risk. She replied, "More likely a foolish boy taking chances when he should not."

"Maybe he trusts you on some level that you haven't figured out yet," Abby replied as she handed back the burner. "An old friend did the same thing with me and he was laughing by the time I figured it out and it took me the whole day."

"I guess you do not have that much trouble now."

"Nope. Now it's challenge." Abby couldn't help but smirk. "Hey, did you want to come with me? I was going to check on Jethro for McGee and then stop at the hospital on my way home."

Ziva had been thinking about what Abby had said about Ray. He was an enigma even though he was willing to share information and he was a good investigator. She looked up when Abby mentioned the dog and replied, "About that… I think Jethro may already be taken care of."

* * *

**A/N:** New players entering the scene and Ziva learns that Ray has been busy with nonessential personnel of the team. Makes you wonder what he's up to. Find out next time on Operation Dead Zone...


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Ray looked around the surrounding area and took a sip of the coffee he had ordered. He noted the vendors with the snacks and the people milling around. He noted the location of possible places to hide and spy around. At his feet Jethro, Tim's dog, was lying at his feet resting his head on his paws. The large German shepherd looked like he was bored.

It had been a calculated risk to get to Tim's apartment. It was a risk doing anything related to the team since Hicks had eyes out and Fornell was doing his part. Gibbs he guessed was being watched as he conducted his investigation. Then again he was doing something that they would expect him to do. He picked Tim's place since it was one of the few addresses he remembered off the bat after sifting through files and a clandestine chat with Ducky.

He was surprised to find the dog there and expected the whole security dog routine. Jethro did respond like a dog should and growled at him. It was like déjà vu back in Vegas where he had come face to face with one of the K9 units standing over the body of his dead partner. Back then he had to gain the trust of the dog and he recalled vividly how he did it.

Ray looked at the dog and talked to him in firm tones. It eventually worked once the mutt got it into his head that Ray wasn't a threat and there was the distinct possibility that he had Tim's scent on him somewhere. His friendship with the dog allowed him to look into a few things through Tim's computer and take care of a few things. It was a last minute decision to take the dog with him and the reasoning was that he could look after him and the dog could prove to be a second pair of eyes. Besides, he missed his partner back home.

He glanced down at Jethro and said, "See anything partner?"

The dog harrumphed slightly but it sounded sad. Ray gave a slight smile, "I know. You miss McGee. Come on."

Jethro had lifted his head hearing Tim's name. He obeyed and sat up when commanded to. He began panting as his head was rubbed by a hand that knew how to give a good ear rub. In appreciation he gave the hand a lick.

"Just what I need. Dog slobber. You're not alone since my Dani does the same though she's prettier," Ray replied as he wiped the drool gently from his hand.

"Funny. I never thought you to be a dog person."

Ray didn't move when he saw the body sit next to him on the bench. It would appear as if two people were sharing the bench. Besides he knew that public places served best for clandestine meetings and the like. "World we live in spook. I take it that Simkins has the prototype."

"Of course. Don't play dumb," Ringo said as he adjusted his position. He eyed the dog warily since it seemed to be watching him with a discerning eye. "You made sure he got it."

"No I didn't. My teammate was more important," Ray countered. He adjusted his seat, thankful that he had taken pain meds but it was clear that his injuries were taking a toll. "Besides, I knew that he was going to get it one way or another."

"I wonder how long it will take for him to realize that you have the codes for the nanite prototype?" Ringo spared a look at Ray. He ignored the paleness and the slight sickly look that was prevalent. "I checked but lied about it."

"Big risk."

"Part of the job and an unexpected failsafe for the guy that the Agency wants to take down."

Ray made a slight noise at that. He knew the drill on that kind of thing even though he had partaken in a sting at the Navy level. "And we know how that goes. So is the Agency after me?"

"They think you're the perfect distraction for Hicks and the FBI while we do business as usual. Of course they don't know you like I do. You'd drop in just to be a pain in the ass."

Ray looked straight ahead and caught sight of a couple of kids playing soccer. It reminded him of Nila and he remembered that she had made her school soccer team. He wanted to be there but now he wasn't sure if he could and he had no idea how this was going to play out if he was burned again. This wasn't about him, it was about her; his being a pain in Hicks' ass. He returned to his current focus. "Yeah. The thing I don't get is while the elaborate scheme. Simkins approached me and offered a chance to get back at those that burned me. Perfect, well near perfect reenactment of DZ…"

"Don't even go there Jay Bird," Ringo replied. "DZ is in the past."

"No," Ray replied shaking his head slightly. "There is a reason for the why and now. Simkins is not operating alone. There is someone higher up pulling the strings. They went to a helluva lot of trouble to stir up the hornet's nest with DZ just to get me back here. It's gotta be something else and it has to do with the original mission."

"I think you're pulling at straws. It was opportunity and besides the intel says that the nanites are for weapons use."

"Think about it Ringo," Ray replied looking at his old friend, "Leland is a biotech firm. They specialize in robotics for living beings. They have blueprints from designs that supposedly were lost on the failed op. There has to be something more."

Ringo sighed. He knew that Ray was going to push and get himself into deeper water. The best thing he could do was hide and wait until it was over. "Leave it be Ray. The official release of that op is hard to get and even if you did get it, it will be heavily redacted."

"And why is that? We were on a recovery op and it failed. No point in it being redacted right?"

"This is the Pentagon and the folks at Norfolk."

"Norfolk?"

Ringo realized he had revealed a bit too much. Ray always could get him to ramble about things especially when he needed info on anything that was relevant to the job. He knew he wasn't going to be able to bluff his way out of this so he decided to go with path of least resistance. He couldn't resist however, "I don't know why I am doing this."

"Because you have wisdom beyond your years," Ray replied teasing. "Spill. What is this about Norfolk?"

Ringo sighed and said, "After DZ and I went to work for the Agency, I did some digging. I'm nowhere as good as you but I did have the security clearances. As it turns out, the whole project related to the scientists were based out of Norfolk at the base. Cyber Division they called it as a joke since they did a lot of work with computers. I put two and two together and made some discreet inquiries and learned that they were the ones that developed the technology initially and set up the protocols for the field testing that we had to rescue them from."

"The orders came from Norfolk if I remember correctly," Ray replied as he frowned slightly. "Yeah they did. I didn't say anything since we were trained to follow without question."

"I went a little further and used an alias to try and access the official records at the Pentagon," Ringo continued after giving a slight nod of agreement. "I got in but the report… There are holes Jay Bird and I'm not talking about redaction. Literal holes, like someone tried to keep something hidden. I would have poked further but I was shut down until this came up."

"Good thing too otherwise your career would have been over."

"Not really. Just benched and a board of inquiry kind of thing." Ringo gave a chuckle at that since they had gotten out of serious shit like that before. He sobered up quickly and said, "I think Norfolk has everything."

Ray was thinking about the encrypted emails and the embedded files. One of them, probably Caldwell, might have known something more and was trying to bring it to light. It sounded farfetched but maybe not if he was once part of Cyber Division. The only way to get the full story would be to do the one thing that would surely rain down Hicks on him. "Then there is only one way to settle this."

"Don't be stupid," Ringo countered knowing exactly what Ray meant. "You'll be flagged the moment you step up to the gate. They would probably have your picture right about now. And if you do this, you could mess up the op we're setting up to bust these guys."

"Do you really think that it's going to end with your bust? Hard evidence is the key here and if it is at Norfolk, then we have to get it."

"And you do realize that Cyber Division may have other ops in the works. They could claim that your actions would sabotage them."

"Yeah but you know undercover as well as me. It's a simple matter of hacking into the system and downloading information."

"I know and you're the best Boss. Just don't take the risk. Why not pass it on to your NCIS friends?"

"They're being watched. Hicks would have made sure of that. The only way that anything could be slipped is if distractions were done and she would smell that a mile off." At the look RIngo was giving him, Ray explained, "I read all about her. She is a cleaner. She cleans house when things go bad and is used to getting results. She is ruthless and vindictive, firmly believing that everything is done for the good of the country."

"Explains why she's pissed at you." Ringo couldn't resist the joke. He couldn't keep it up and sobered, "You know there are ways of getting stuff to your people. You could even disguise it as something else and it will be found." He then stood up and said, "Wait on your Mission Impossible idea and at least talk to your people. Push them in the right direction."

Ray waited while Ringo left. It had been a risk on both ends to meet as they did but Ringo was the one that told him that he had been brought to DC to be recruited for the Leland job. Ringo was no traitor either and he loved his job with the Agency even though Ray personally thought that they hired way too many dicks for his liking. He looked down at Jethro who was looking at him with an inquisitive expression.

Maybe Ringo was right but he was right too. If Norfolk was the base of operations, then he needed a plan to get in, get what he needed and get out. Ringo did make a point though and Ray knew that his meetings with Ducky and Ziva were risks in of themselves. He had pissed Hicks off even more and he could have risked exposure to the team and she would have slammed them with interference and possibly worse.

Getting up from the bench, Ray winced slightly from the pain in his hip. He gave a slight tug on Jethro's leash and they started walking in the opposite direction that Ringo had gone. He had to make a plan on this.

* * *

Abby was doing her best but it wasn't coming together. She had been working all day and since Ziva's revelation about lunch, she had redoubled her efforts. She had been trying in between working with her babies to process the evidence and looking for something to clear her Raymie from this mess. The program that Tim had started was running but she was frustrated.

She had gone through all the emails and pieced together what she had but she was stuck. She was stuck with partially completed files and some corrupted data that might have gotten damage that might have been done to throw off a hacker's trail. She tried everything she knew and wished that Tim was there. He would have figured it out and have gotten Ray out of this mess. As of now she had to do it by herself and it was just rubbing her the wrong way. She heard the door to her lab open and she said, "I really don't have anything Gibbs. Well I have something but it's like the powers are deliberately toying with me…"

"It's okay Abbs," Gibbs said as he handed a Caf-Pow to his favorite. He knew that she was determined to find anything to exonerate Ray and catch the guys that did this. She was on the warpath and she was determined to find the guilty parties. "What do you have?"

"Well I managed to get through all the emails and was able to put these together. From what I managed to put together, it appears that Dead Zone was a rescue op that went wrong but according to this piece I found, it didn't. Something about Rook being the one who got them out."

"Anything about who or what they were rescuing?"

"That's the problem. I went through all the emails but there was only a small bit encoded in each of them and some got corrupted. I think Caldwell was planning on long term and it was very good."

"Not good enough since the guy was killed," Gibbs replied with a slight look. This case was getting closer to working with spooks and he was not sure if he was in the mood for that. The cases where he had to didn't go well even though it was an all's well that ends well ending.

"True but I think that Caldwell was planning for the long term. Even the emails he sent where he told Rawlings to back off had something. It was like he was looking for someone to be backup and was maybe testing Rawlings." Abby moved her hands as she presented her theory with what she had.

"Building an asset or insurance policy," Gibbs replied as he looked at the overall scope. This had some ideas going through his head. "Anything else Abbs?"

"I've been working on the bomb that went off and I can tell you it was set by someone who is really good at it. I managed to find some fail safes that had been built into the thing and it looks like they were going to blow the floor one way or another." Abby got a little despondent at that. She knew that it was fairly good evidence but not what she wanted. "Gibbs, it's good but not enough to clear…"

"It's a start," Gibbs replied. "It starts with Caldwell. Good work." He gave Abby a kiss to her head and headed out the lab. He called out, "Talk to McGee."

Abby gave a wry smile. Gibbs had given her permission to work with Tim even though he was in the hospital. It made her feel better knowing that she had backup on this and she went back to her samples and her babies. She would find something. She was curious about what Operation Dead Zone was but she had to focus on the science. The science would reveal the greater mysteries of the world and one step closer to helping Ray.

Meanwhile Gibbs went back up to the bullpen. He spotted Hicks hanging around and she was looking like she could use a cup of coffee. He couldn't help but give a wry smile at that. He still thought it amusing that Ray had managed to get one up on her. His old probie was serious with the job but he was also playful with it. Of course when they first met, the threat of him actually shooting him seemed real.

_Gibbs had two guns trained on him. One was pointed probably at his head and the Petty Officer holding it looked determined to pull the trigger. Gibbs kept his hands up while the second one was acting jumpy and asking what were they going to do._

_ The Petty Officer looked at him in the eye and didn't divert his gaze. He said, "Tell the others that there are three others. They will be searching near our business deck. They're cops."_

_ "Yes sir."_

_ The Petty Officer raised his gun to make it look like he was going to shoot Gibbs while his partner left the room. Once he was gone and the door shut, Gibbs looked at the Petty Officer, daring him to pull the trigger. He was ready for it._

_ It was a surprise when the Petty Officer lowered his weapon and said, "You're lucky it was me that he brought you to otherwise I would have a mess of paperwork." He holstered his weapon after checking around to make sure that no one was listening. "Trying to be a hero?"_

_ "No. Trying to end a black market smuggling ring."_

_ "Yeah well you may have bit off more than you can chew on this one Agent…"_

_ "Gibbs."_

_ "Agent Ray Salazaar, undercover unit NCIS. These guys aren't who you think they are._

Gibbs thought about that as he went to where his people were working. "Let's go. We got a dead body. Dead Marine."

Ziva and Tony responded immediately and grabbed their gear. They hurried behind Gibbs to head to the garage and get in the car. They were relieved that they weren't being followed by Hicks or one of her cronies and remained silent throughout the whole thing. They knew that they didn't have a new case since it was made clear that this one was priority. Balboa's team had the explosion at Leland but they had Rawlings and the two were connected.

Nothing was said until the standard issue sedan pulled up to Gibbs' place after making sure that they weren't followed or anyone was waiting. Gibbs got out and motioned for his people to follow him down to the basement. He had done an inspection and made sure no bugs or anything was found.

"So Boss, Abby got us a lead?" Tony looked at Gibbs once they were inside.

Ziva was quiet, waiting for Gibbs to start. She and Tony had been working the angles they could like the getaway vehicle, surveillance footage on Laurent's apartment and she was checking old contacts to see if anyone had put feelers out for any weapons deals. She might have struck gold on something and was ready to give it when Gibbs came in.

Gibbs looked at his two agents and said, "Caldwell."

"Dead sailor?" Tony asked with a slight frown.

"We need to find out who he was before he joined the Navy," Gibbs replied.

"Well we checked and there is nothing out of the ordinary," Tony began. He frowned a bit as he said it. "No trouble as a kid, good grades, went to college, graduated summa cum laude… like McGeek."

"Dig deeper DiNozzo. The emails with the messages were designed for long term and Caldwell had some face work done," Gibbs pointed out. They knew about the face lift and thought that maybe the guy was going for a different look.

"You're thinking secret op Boss?"

"Not ruling it out," Gibbs replied. He looked at the current project he was working on his basement. "DiNozzo check out if there really was a Caldwell at Georgetown. Get a name, photo, the works. Ziver look into his position at Leland."

Ziva agreed to it wondering why the simple assignment. She had some leads to the whole arms deal theory that they had with the biotech thing. Still she agreed to it and added, "I also have contacts looking into who is in the market for special weapons technology. There might be some leads."

"Good," Gibbs replied. "I don't need to remind you that Hicks is looking at us hard. Anything related to Rawlings, you are writing your reports as usual."

"What about Ray?" Tony asked the question. It was the elephant in the room.

"What about him DiNozzo?"

"He's out there and is the reason Hicks is watching us," Tony replied stating the obvious. "Aside from that, he's been lurking around the yard. I got a lead on the getaway car from Leland." He didn't say that he had received it as a tip via a phone call and he recognized the voice as Ray's.

"Then follow it but keep Balboa's team in the loop," Gibbs replied in tone that clearly implied Tony should have done it already. He knew that Ray had been reaching out to the team and avoiding him and Vance simply because they were the most likely. Ducky had mentioned meeting a friend for lunch who had a dog with a peculiar name and he had a message for an old fogy who likes to abuse his computers when he works.

It had been a good use of code words and a seemingly meaningless conversation. Certainly it didn't convey suspicion to Hicks. Gibbs was able to smile a little after that conversation with Ducky. He looked at his two agents and said, "Go on back to the Yard."

Ziva and Tony hesitated slightly but they started up the stairs. Gibbs waited until they were gone when he said, "You really need to think about turning yourself in before this gets out of hand." He turned to see his old probie come out of the shadows from where he had been hiding.

Ray stepped forward and leaned against the wall and replied, "And where would that get us. Vance would have little choice but to lock me in interrogation. After all I was team leader of that op." He looked around and noticed Gibbs' project and ran an appreciative hand on it. "I see you figured out something about Caldwell."

"You've been eavesdropping."

"No," Ray replied in the same manner Gibbs would. "I was trying to figure out the connection between the two aside from the fact that they both worked on the nanite project but they were working with different parts of it."

"Piecemeal."

"Sort of like using independent contractors; supposedly it keeps one party from figuring out too much of what's going on. It was something that the famous serial killer H. Holmes did when he built his little 'fun house'," Ray replied. "I've seen it before and typically it keeps from too many questions being asked."

"But Caldwell is different," Gibbs affirmed. "You knew this already though didn't you."

"When Tim started piecing together the pieces from the emails, I started thinking that Caldwell may have known about the whole story. It was only his emails that had the information." Ray looked up from where he was staring at.

"Caldwell was part of the op."

"Probably but not on the action end." Ray looked down and shook his head. "I swear Boss, I know every name and face on that op. I know my team and I knew the two scientists were we were extracting. Caldwell isn't one of them."

Gibbs listened and observed Ray. He figured he was holding up well but taking in the flushing of the face and the slight sheen of sweat… He could see that Ray was battling pain and possibly an infection. "You're sure?"

"I am," Ray replied looking at Gibbs in the eye. "This Caldwell… he must be involved but from where? It was supposed to be a rescue…"

"What did happen during Operation Dead Zone?"

Ray looked at Gibbs. There really was no reason to hold back on anything. "You know I was told never to talk about it and sent to the desert to keep me quiet."

"I figured," Gibbs replied as he took a couple of steps towards his work table. "But you're not exactly in a position to be keeping secrets now are you?"

Ray couldn't help but chuckle. Gibbs was right but he was also a man who did what he thought was right. Ray knew that hiding everything was going to spell trouble but even saying what he knew was going to bring trouble. It was better to move when you had information. "No," he replied. He paused to think about what he was going to say. Finally, he began, "It was supposed to be a routine extraction…"

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like things are going to pick up soon considering the risks Ray is taking coming to see Gibbs. Stay tuned for more Operation Dead Zone...


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

It was called Dead Zone for a reason. It was designed so that no outside interference could be used against what Gibson and Connelly were working on. The location was near a small village that didn't really have a name but it was perfect for the experiments but the political situation was tense. The neighboring tribe was asserting its claim under a vicious warlord and they were saying that they were the biggest, baddest group on the block.

The mission was simple. They were to extract the scientists from DZ, the main compound, and make their way through the neighboring village and to the drop zone. They had a forty-eight hour time window otherwise they were dead. The political situation was destabilizing quickly and there was some anti-American sentiment.

Ray led the team into the compound. Once they were dropped in, they were on their own until they got to the recovery point. No radio, no computer, no nothing but what they had on their backs. He had been put through this before with extreme combat training scenarios and now it felt like it was a walk in the park but he didn't treat it like that. Every mission had to have one hundred percent and then some. That was how he rolled and how he expected his team to work.

The compound had nothing but a security system but it was one of the best. It was always active and it had started a couple of wild tales about crazy Americans. Lucky for Ray, he had the codes to gain access to the main facility. He led the team in after splitting them up to take opposite ends of the building since it had been overrun by a few of the warlord's men. They were the ones in charge of the security system but they hadn't changed the codes.

It had been easy to take them out as they made their way through. Ray took point as he moved through the rooms. It had been gut wrenching to see the bodies of the support staff on the ground. He had been privy to the video that had been sent of the enemy executing them. Simkins covered his back as they shared a look over the dead bodies on the ground.

It had been easy to get to the main lab. It made Ray uneasy about it. There were hardly any guards of the takeover present. His gut was telling him that this was not what it seemed and he was on high alert. He was right when they busted in and there were the two scientists standing there looking confused about the whole thing. It was like they were expecting the warlord's men to come back and finish them off.

The head scientist explained that after killing the others, he and his partner were told to stay put or they would be killed. So they stayed there and waited for someone to come. They were doing okay since they had food and water. That still didn't alleviate Ray's concern. He was anxious to get going but he was going to go by the book and wait until all the material that was necessary was stashed and ready to go.

Their time was moved up the moment they spotted the warlord's men coming back. They stormed the building and they had to fight their way out. By the time they got to the village, the tension made it difficult and Ray had to make a decision and he had to do it with a bullet in his side and one of his men had a bullet in his arm. The mission was to get the scientists out…

~0~0~

"It was supposed to be extraction. Nothing more and we did that," Ray said as he looked around the basement. He noticed the project that was in the works and wondered what it was.

"So you got burned for doing your job?"

"I didn't question it at first Boss," Ray replied as he looked back at Gibbs. His lower back was hurting like crazy. He needed to get back to his safe house but he needed to see how his team was faring. "You know the drill. You're told to jump, you ask how high. I didn't question why we failed. It was laid bare to me."

Gibbs looked at his old probie. It had been a lengthy story but he had time and Ray needed a break from whatever he had been doing. He may not have said much but he could tell Ray was running on fumes at the moment but he wasn't going to stop anytime soon. "What was?"

"One of the scientists was killed. The one on my watch when we separated," Ray replied. "Said that he died from complications to his gunshot wound. I thought it a load of bull." He scoffed as he said it like he was still in disbelief about the whole thing. He had long accepted his fate but the circumstances that led to it, he had a hard time swallowing and now with everything being brought back, he was certain that things weren't as they seemed.

"What do you mean?"

"Gibbs, I was shot in my side and had lost blood, quite a bit of it," Ray replied, "Gibson had a flesh wound. I know because I was there when it happened. The rookie tried to watch my six and got hit. It was a flesh wound." Ray paused to lean against a shelf. He rested his forehead on his forearm and he could feel the heat radiating from his body. He couldn't get it right now. Everything happening made it seem like there was something there and he suspected there was but… "Gibbs I think there is more to this and Rawlings and Caldwell were just pawns in this."

"You may be right but there might be more to Caldwell than you think," Gibbs replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Ducky found scarring on the face that was consistent with plastic surgery," Gibbs replied giving the basics on what Ducky's report had on Caldwell. "Sailor was wearing colored contacts and the hair was dyed."

Ray studied Gibbs with a bland expression after standing up from his position. He knew that Gibbs wasn't lying to him since it was not in the man's nature. If it was a means to getting a lead on a case, that was a different story. Besides he and Gibbs went way back. Secrets were like the plague between them. "So Caldwell isn't Caldwell."

"You said it yourself that things aren't always what they seemed and that was when you were way into the undercover gigs before full time on my team." Gibbs adjusted his position. "Look Duck still has the body. There was a tattoo on it. Sound familiar?"

"Boss there are ten people I know that have ink," Ray replied humoring Gibbs. "Besides Hicks has the building covered. She has access to my official IDs and she knows what to look for. My main concern is the full story on DZ."

"We have access to it."

"It's full of holes Gibbs." Ray folded his arms over his chest. "If I know the brass, they would have redacted it so that it's not worth reading."

"Vance did get us an unredacted copy but you're right. There are holes," Gibbs admitted. He poured a shot of bourbon and offered it to his probie. He looked like he needed it and was surprised when Ray actually took the glass and downed it without question. "Any idea about that?"

"My ideas would have DiNozzo saying how it reminds him of some movie or other," Ray replied as he finished the bourbon. He knew he shouldn't but he was sore all over and he needed a hard crash. "I found out that the brains of the op were Cyber Division based out of Norfolk." At the look Gibbs was giving him he added, "One of the guys at Leland was an undercover. There is talk of a major deal according to the Agency's sources and he's their guy that's…"

"You trust a spook?"

"Never let me down yet," Ray countered. He knew Gibbs was going to need more than that. "I talked to him before Leland and then on that night… He told me that it was Simkins' plan to recruit me. That was why I was late… gone… whatever. Most of the evidence collected was a blaring message to me. Key phrases that only my team used."

"So you were set up from the beginning," Gibbs declared.

"Looks that way but with the holes…"

Gibbs thought about it. He had some suspicions about Caldwell and he knew the only way to settle it was to have Ray take a look himself. He needed to see the tattoos and read Ducky's report. Probably Ray hadn't even seen the body yet even though he had been there to collect the evidence or he simply hadn't gotten to that part in the investigation before everything else. He had an idea but it was going to take a lot of luck and some maneuvering on the team's part to get it done.

Ray finished the bourbon and put it on the worktable. It was then that Gibbs noticed Jethro following him from the shadows. So he went for McGee's dog? "McGee's dog?"

"I was looking for something… a little insurance," Ray admitted. He had been in this racket long enough to know that you had to have an insurance policy of some sort. He had some things that he suspected would make or break the case and he didn't want anyone sneaking around his safe house or his apartment. "I have a way with dogs."

"No surprise there," Gibbs replied. He heard of how he got a drug sniffer named Dani to back down. It had been a similar situation with what happened to McGee. "So what's next Skipper?"

"Cyber Division is your best bet but they'll bog you down. Bureaucratic crap… the usual." Ray sighed and absently pet Jethro around the ears. "Subpoena and legal stuff can get you through the front door but…" He shrugged his shoulders, painfully aware that it was a bad idea. He rubbed his lower back and felt the gauze padding underneath his clothing. Yep it was sore and it was amazing he was still on his feet.

Gibbs studied his old probie and came to a few conclusions. "You're going to autopsy."

"What?" Ray wasn't sure he heard Gibbs right. He knew the man wouldn't sell him out. Yet what he just said sounded like it or rather he was asking him to walk into the lion's den and possibly offer himself up as sacrifice.

"You're going to autopsy," Gibbs repeated.

"And give myself up? Hicks will be expecting that."

"I know but you need to see Caldwell. Take a good look."

"I told you I don't know him," Ray repeated.

"I got a feeling that you do."

Ray raised his brow. As far as he could see, this was a suicide mission and he had been on a few of those. He had learned to trust Gibbs' famous gut instinct and had learned to trust his own when on the job. Right now it was telling him that Gibbs was onto something. Still he had to ask, "Give myself up?"

"No but it will help."

"I assume you got a plan cause frankly I'm disinclined to get caught by Hicks." Ray looked at the worktable full of the tools necessary for Gibbs' woodwork. "She's ruthless Gibbs. I've seen the product of her other cleanup jobs. She'll do whatever it takes."

"I hear ya Skipper. First impression and she seems to know you."

"Well… I sort of made her look bad one time and even told them it was an honest mistake. She never forgave me so now it's payback." Ray looked sheepish as he said it. Feeling uncomfortable with that issue he decided to get back to the problem of getting into autopsy. "So how do you propose I get into Autopsy?"

Gibbs gave his slight smile. He had an idea and he knew his team would be up to getting the job done. "You're gonna walk in like an agent," he started.

* * *

Abby finished her analysis of the hairs, fibers, everything related to Balboa's investigation which was actually Gibbs' investigation and one of the suspects in Balboa's investigation was Raymie but he wouldn't do anything like that and he wouldn't hurt anyone. He tried to save her Timmy, well he ddid and took the worst of it and now he was out there… Her thoughts were running wild and… She really needed a Caf-Pow. She reached for the cup and found it to be empty. She was running on empty and she just wanted…

Suddenly a fresh Caf-Pow appeared in front of her. Abby took it gleefully and turned to greet the giver. "Thanks Ziva. You are a lifesaver."

Ziva smiled, happy to make the energetic Goth feel better. She knew that Abby was worried about Ray and oscillating between happiness that McGee was all right and anger that he had to do something stupid like getting shot. She replied, "I will do what I can Abby."

Abby took a long pull of the Caf-Pow. Now she could think. She looked at the evidence bag that Ziva had and asked, "What do ya have for me?"

Ziva held up the bag. It was a thumb drive that she had found in Caldwell's personal effects at Leland. It had been cleverly disguised and her instincts told her that it was important and considering that Gibbs had asked the team to dig deeper into Caldwell… That had Ziva thinking that there was more to this than the surface where an agent was not directly being accused of espionage but it was implied. She bagged it along with the other things from Caldwell's workstation, which she could remove without being harangued by Leland security protocols, and brought it back. "I have this… doodad thing."

Abby had to smile at that. Ziva sounded almost like Gibbs in describing a thumb drive. "Great," she replied as she took the bag. She also noticed more and asked, "Caldwell's effects?"

"From his job at Leland. Just the usual extra stuff for emergencies," Ziva replied. Her hand brushed her jacket pocket and she felt the burner phone. She tried not to think about it but she couldn't help it. She had a suspicion that Ray had been hiding at Gibbs' place which was why Gibbs' didn't leave the same time she and Tony did. "It was hidden by making it look like something else. I figured that it might help."  
"Every little bit helps David," Gibbs replied sauntering in. He didn't have his customary Caf-Pow for Abby since he noticed Ziva carrying one on her way down. He couldn't believe his luck, if there was such a thing, that she would be with Abby. "What do ya have Abbs?"

"Well I ran the DNA on Caldwell and it came back as unknown," Abby replied.

"That does not make sense," Ziva replied as she frowned at the results that Abby pulled up. "We have positive ID that Caldwell is Caldwell."

Abby smiled at that and continued, "He is Caldwell but he isn't. Now all military is printed and all that. Ducky found something very interesting in Caldwell's arm." She walked over and held up in a pair of forceps a thin piece of bloodied tubing.

"That was in his arm?" Gibbs asked with a slightly raised brow.

"Yep. Lt. Caldwell was faking his DNA," Abby smiled like the cat that caught the canary. Judging by the scarring on the body, Ducky estimated that it had been put there week's prior to Caldwell's death."

"I checked at Leland and they were doing a drug test with blood in two days," Ziva confirmed.

"So he was faking it."

"But nothing, no drugs or anything came up in tox so I'm thinking that it was to hide who he really was," Abby replied as she finished her presentation.

"So Caldwell isn't Caldwell," Ziva affirmed. "So who is he?"

"That's what we're gonna find out," Gibbs replied. "Did you find anything useful at Leland, Ziva?" He looked at Ziva expectantly.

Ziva knew something was up. Gibbs didn't have to say it in so many words ad her Mossad training included the art of being subtle when needed. She replied, "I did find a stick thing for the computer. It was made to look like some little desktop decoration. I brought to Abby to see if she could find anything but we have had little luck." She looked at Abby and gave a slight nod.

Abby picked up on it right away. She could tell that Gibbs had something up his sleeves and he was going to need help. They were being watched so she was going to help provide a distraction. She took her cue, "Right. It's encrypted like everything else that we've had but it's a lot tougher. It's nothing like Rawling's or Caldwell's computers and the emails. This is high end stuff Gibbs."

"Perhaps the director could assign us someone from Cybercrimes," Ziva suggested.

Gibbs considered it or rather gave the appearance to. Abby's lab had been checked for bugs but he couldn't be too careful. He knew that protocol would have a computer gremlin assigned temporarily while McGee recovered but the last he checked, he was doing okay and was bored out of his mind. He also sounded eager to help.

"Not a computer gremlin. Gibbs," Abby put on a pouting look. It was probably going overboard but they had to make this sell. She knew that one of the evil dragon lady's men was out in the hall. He probably could hear their conversation. "The last time I got one, he messed up everything. Major Mas spec was temperamental for hours."

Gibbs gave a slight smile. "Get McGee to help but take it easy. Don't break him Abbs."

Abby couldn't resist giving one of her hugs. "Thank you Gibbs."

Gibbs gave a kiss to Abby's head. "Good work Abbs. Ziva, with me."

Ziva led the way out since Gibbs paused to look back at Abby. He then signed, _He's coming to ID the body._

Abby nodded. She then signed, _Thanks Gibbs._

Gibbs smiled again and turned around and followed Ziva into the elevator. Once they were inside he said, "I need you to do something."

Ziva stared straight ahead, not looking at Gibbs. She replied, "I figured as much. It was him in the basement was it not?"

Gibbs didn't say anything at first but gave a slight affirming nod. "Caldwell may be the key to unlocking everything."

"So you want to get him back into NCIS and into autopsy," Ziva said as a matter of statement. She didn't know if it was crazy or brilliant.

"We know that Caldwell was the one sending the emails with the information," Gibbs replied. He finally stopped the elevator. He didn't want to run the risk of it being overheard. He looked at Ziva, "My gut tells me that Caldwell was one of original members of Dead Zone and that Ray knew him but under another name. The only way for us to be sure of that is to bring him in but not as a suspect." He gave a slight like.

"Because if we did, Hicks would have him in lockdown until he dies," Ziva replied being a little overdramatic but she had seen the woman Olivia Hicks and could tell that she didn't like Ray for whatever reason. "What do you have in mind?"

Gibbs smiled. He knew that Ziva would be on board. "I need you to be here."

"You're expecting trouble."

"I have a lead out in Norfolk that would shed some light. If we go, Hicks will have us followed."

Ziva nodded. She got the picture. "That trip would be a distraction so that less attention is here," she confirmed. "But you still need someone here to look like they are working on a case."

"That and I know you can provide backup in case things go wrong." Gibbs paused since it was a big risk. "If that happens, you could be implicated in this."

Ziva considered the risks. She knew that if Ray got caught, he would be arrested. If she was caught helping him escape, she would be considered wanted as well. She knew that Gibbs was asking her because she had the most experience in this kind of thing. She didn't know that Ray had put up a fuss with this aspect of the plan with full blown force to the point that it surprised Gibbs. She took into consideration that Ray was injured and possibly running a fever since he was not being attended to by a doctor. The more she thought about it, the more she remembered another instance that was very similar.

_She had insured the diplomat's escape and now she needed to get out. She made her way to the safe house to lay low and then slowly make her way out. Her current disguise was clothing from the village and she looked like one of many women there. It easily hid her gun and a few other weapons just in case._

_ She was halfway back when shouts and shooting occurring. She knew she shouldn't look but she did. She saw a soldier running with a civilian. They turned to hide in a dark corner. She noticed that they were being followed by the warlord's men and they asked her if she had seen anyone. She looked and noticed the soldier looking at her and she saw pain in his eyes. She said no and the soldiers left…_

"Can you do this Ziva?" Gibbs voice sounded a bit impatient and had every right to be since they were running on a clock. He had noticed that she was thinking about it and was willing to let her make the decision.

Ziva looked at Gibbs, aware that she had wasted time on that memory, but she knew her answer, "I'll do it. What do you need me to do?"

Gibbs gave a slight smile at Ziva. In truth he didn't expect his team to be on board with helping except to follow orders. McGee had jumped into helping and Ziva had her own motives. DiNozzo liked Ray and he had noticed a couple of instances where they discussed films much to DiNozzo's delight. He said, "Follow up on your report. Normal stuff. I do want you to run a background on Hicks."

"Any particular reason why?" Ziva asked even though by now she knew that when Gibbs told his team to do something, even if it didn't make sense, they followed it. She just wanted to be sure that it pertained to the case.

"Just background, anything you can find." Gibbs turned the elevator back on and it hummed to life. "There might be more to her than being a cleaner for the Pentagon."

Ziva nodded. "I'll keep an eye out too. Should I expect anything to come to the bullpen?"

"Straight to autopsy but you know the shortcuts." Gibbs heard the ding and when the doors opened, he began on a tirade about Ziva needing to find something on their DB. He gave a look and he knew that Ziva got it and she went to do her job. Things were set. Now the hard part was getting Vance to know.

* * *

**A/N:** Seems like that now Ray is considered 'rogue' the 'obligations' he was under no longer apply. Looks like Gibbs is up to something and gets Abby and Ziva to help. Stay tuned for next time on Operation Dead Zone...


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"I can assure you that the situation is under control, Jarvis." Vance looked up at Sec Nav from his seated position at his desk. Vance silently prayed that it was considering that he had a possibly rogue agent running around who knew details about the investigation…

"And I'm willing to believe you on that," Jarvis pointed out. He was willing to believe it since he had read the reports and managed to find out a few things that no one else would have been able to short of breaking and entering.

"I'm glad we're on the same page," Vance replied as he adjusted his seat. "Olivia Hicks has been breathing down my neck and is under the impression that Agent Salazaar will just waltz in here and surrender just to clear his name."

"But you and I and Agent Gibbs know that it's not about his name," Jarvis pointed out. He relaxed a little since it wasn't too much of an official capacity. "I read his file too and the career chronology has me interested. I'm surprised he hasn't questioned anything."

"Navy man, Jarvis," Vance replied. He got up to offer Sec Nav a drink. "And you know his father was a Marine. You're given an order, you follow it."

"Yes I am well aware of Colonel Salazaar. His work on virology has been most interesting," Jarvis replied. He was thorough when it came to finding out everything. He could see why there may have been a reason for the empty spots in the career chronology. "Agent Salazaar seemed to go a different track but it's easy to see similarities."

"He's been good at his job. I have reports from his previous assignment and if anything there is nothing to indicate the accusations stated that led to him being assigned out there," Vance reported. He narrowed his eyes slightly, "Then again you knew that. Why did you want to bring him back Jarvis?"

Jarvis knew Vance would take the time to think things over. "To be honest Leon, we didn't need him but I noticed some key people were nervous when the operation was mentioned. Aside from the fact that some members of the team were alive and looking like they were making deals and then chatter mentioning it… it seemed better to bring in one whose loyalty is never in doubt."

"So you know that he's not involved?" Vance was a bit suspicious at this but this was the job and he wanted some answers.

Jarvis took a sip of the drink and put it down, "CIA first noticed activity between old members of Dead Zone and monitored them. One of their own was a part of that and found out what was going on. Then Leland is awarded a contract for military weapons and we have this. Plus chatter has been monitored on Agent Salazaar though he was good enough to block certain efforts." Jarvis gave a wry smile at that. "Besides during some key events, no contact and I think with one incident he was out of the country."

"You want him to figure it out don't you?"

"I consider it a chance. I read everything on him and figured that this was the best way to clear a black mark. I had no idea he would be more careful."

Vance knew why on that. "He has a family, Jarvis and you did make it clear that he was on a short leash."

"I would have thought he would have seen through that."

"He can but he's more concerned about other things," Gibbs said as he walked in without waiting for a go ahead. He looked at Vance and said, "We may have a lead and it's at Norfolk."

Jarvis knew that he should leave but since he instigated this, he wanted to hear it. "What is it Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs looked at Jarvis. He didn't know if it was a good idea to actually be saying anything. "Just a lead that may help us find the guys that stole Leland's technology. We found something on the hard drive of Caldwell's that point to it."

Vance could tell that something was up. Balboa's team was on the robbery and bombing. To hear it from Gibbs suggested that he had been in contact with the missing agent. A look at Jarvis suggested that he suspected it as well. It was like playing cat and mouse and Gibbs was going to do what he had to and keep Salazaar out of Hicks' reach.

Jarvis replied, "Interesting. I assume that it had everything to do with the unmentionable op?"

"Just following the evidence," Gibbs pointed out. "I informed Balboa and he said it was all right to take it. His team has enough to do following a lead on the getaway car."

"Then go ahead," Vance replied giving his permission.

Gibbs nodded. He and Vance could read each other quite well. It wasn't that he didn't want to inform what he was doing but he had protective instincts over his old probie and aimed to keep him out of trouble. He gave a respectful nod to Jarvis and walked out. Tony was waiting in the bullpen and he barked, "DiNozzo, with me. We're going to Norfolk. Ziva continue into that records search."

As if on cue, the men Hicks sent followed. Ziva watched covertly as she pretended to remain on hold having already gotten what she was looking for. The first stage was set but she noticed that Hicks was hovering around the background. It had everyone on edge that wasn't even remotely related. It had her feel that there was something to the woman that was off and she understood better why Gibbs asked her to do this.

Meanwhile Jarvis looked in the direction Gibbs had gone and said, "Seems like a plan is in motion."

"Just following the evidence Jarvis. Gibbs is good at what he does. You know that," Vance replied giving a knowing look. They both knew that Gibbs was up to something by the choice of words given. Neither were going to question it deeply since they both knew what was at stake. Vance thought it was cruel and could tell that there were some things that Jarvis wasn't telling. Again it was don't ask and don't tell.

* * *

Tim was bored and anxious to do something. He hated the fact that he was still in the hospital and was going to be stuck there for a couple of more days. He had been shot and stabbed and the latter was a bad memory from the Dearing case and the bombing of NCIS. The concussion came from Ray's hard head but he had no hard feelings. The guy took the hits and he didn't have to and he was willing to do the grunt work.

He didn't believe that Ray went rogue. He had spent a day with the man and his gut told him that he was good. Part of it was that Gibbs trusted him and Tim knew that it took a lot to gain respect and trust in the Boss. The other part was Ray's interaction with Abby.

Even though he had a bout of jealousy when he first saw them interact and how Abby talked about him, Tim could see that it was a close relationship that was like his relationship with Sarah. They were close like brother and sister especially how he 'disciplined' Abby when he brought her the tracking software. The last thing Ray would do would be to hurt Abby by a betrayal like that.

"Agent McGee, have you seen anything that indicates that Agent Salazaar would commit espionage?"

Tim looked up at the woman who identified herself as Olivia Hicks who came to interrogate him. It didn't help that Fornell was there giving him the stink eye. The man still thought something went on between him and his ex-wife Diane. At least Gibbs believed him on that account. "I saw nothing," he replied with a set jaw.

Fornell looked at Tim, not wanting to be tough on the kid since he was hurt but someone needed to be there to make sure Hicks didn't torture him or do something that would have the doctors chasing them out. He said, "You sure?"

"No," Tim replied. He gave a firm look at Fornell. "He's not like that."

"Agent McGee," Hicks interrupted, "Do you honestly think that you can make that assessment after knowing the man for only one day?"

Tim glared at Hicks. He didn't want this to continue and silently prayed that someone would rescue him. He was rescued and it was by his Abby. She came in asking, "What's going on?"

Hicks took in the arrival of the Goth scientist. She looked at Fornell who said that they had enough information. Hicks was inclined to agree since she already had questioned the Goth and that conversation had not been profitable. It seemed that Agent Gibbs' team was determined to protect this rogue agent. She checked her phone and said, "We're finished."

Abby watched as Hicks left with Fornell who shot a look of apology. It was probably the most they would get since it seemed that Fornell was still under the impression that Tim had a thing for his ex, Diane. At least she was better than that devil woman Hicks. She waited until they both left before starting on her usual, "How are ya doing?"

Tim suspected something was up the moment Abby opened her mouth. He could usually tell when she was up to something even though she was good at keeping secrets. Besides it was a little unusual for her to be here during the middle of a work day and she was the one most adamant about proving her Raymie innocent. He had to check that name since Ray would probably kill him for using that since the guy was like Gibbs in many ways. He replied, "Doing fine Abby."

"That's good. You getting out soon?"

Tim knew something was up. Abby had been there when the doctor said something about staying for a couple of days and then roughly a few more days at home—memories from the bombing… Black marks really. Pushing that aside, tim realized there was a point to this discussion and replied, "Couple of days but I think I might do what a friend of ours did before I go crazy."

Not exactly the most subtle of suggestions but who the hell was anyone going to know that he was referring to Ray? It could have been referenced to something Tony did. Abby though knew what Tim meant and saw that he was at the point where he was ready to rip the IV out and sign himself out AMA. However, a talk with Gibbs made it clear that things needed to look like nothing was going on. Abby knew that it was hard for Tim to follow that but she could see that he and Ray were on the fast track to becoming friends. She replied, "I know. I did that coming here to see you and plus… I need some help. Some McGee magic."

_At last something to do._ It was evident on Tim's face that he was up for doing anything. He didn't care if it was to set up a new laptop for Abby, who could do it herself but she said only he could get everything to work right, just as long as he had something to do. He knew though that it had to do with the case. "What's the problem?"

Abby grinned as she fished out the laptop she had brought. It was one that she 'borrowed' from Ray a few years ago and never got around to getting it back. She would have used the one he had carried with him but that was evidence. She then pulled out the thumb drive. "Ziva found this at Caldwell's station at Leland. We're thinking there's something on it."

Tim opened the laptop and barely raised a brow at the stickers that personalized it. They didn't say Abby but someone else and when he booted it up, he had a pretty good idea who. He didn't have problems accessing it and there was a wireless connection. "Nice setup," he commented.

"Thought you'd like that." Abby smirked as she held out the drive.

Tim shared a look with Abby as he took the drive and plugged it in. From all appearances, it looked like a regular thumb drive but even Tim knew that some could be designed to get into secure systems and download what a person was looking for. The fact that Lt. Caldwell had hidden it meant that it might have things on it that were probably not supposed to exist on the official record and something he was good at finding out. As he typed, he said, "I'm guessing that Gibbs has a plan for you know who."

"Trying to be an interrogator McGee?" Abby continued to smile playfully. She knew Tim would eventually find out. "Gibbs always has a plan even when it looks like his hands are tied."

Tim gave a nod as he got into the drive. Some files he recognized from the emails he worked on and pulled them up in their completed form. "Looks like this was where Caldwell was keeping everything and sending to Rawlings," he mused. He tapped a few more keys until he pulled up something.

Abby noticed the screen changed and saw something that looked like readings pop up. At least that's what they looked like. What else popped up were video recorded sessions and caught her attention. One she recognized. "McGee."

Tim didn't need further prompting. He turned it on and it played to show Ray seated in a room like at HCIS HQ and being interrogated. He was being asked about the scientist that was under his charge and he kept saying that it was a flesh wound. He also pushed forward a disc saying that the info was secure and returned as ordered. The rest of it was nothing but accusations of disobeying orders, failing the mission… Tim clicked the mute button. "Didn't expect that."

Abby was silent. She knew Ray put up with a lot of crap that he never mentioned since it was no one's business. He made that clear when they first met and then mellowed out slightly when their relationship became what it was. There were other clips including footage from what appeared to be a ransom video where Ray and the scientist were held at gunpoint.

Tim continued to shuffle through the files. The letter JJR kept popping up and figured that it was a code name or something. He did manage to locate a series of files. They were on all the members of the extraction team. Opening one, and it happened to be Ray's, Tim found copies of fitness reports, arms proficiencies and notes from evaluators including extensive medical history. He found that odd as he looked at the career history and noted chunks of time devoted to code letters. "Looks like Caldwell had a lot more than we thought," he said.

Abby was looking at the same information and came to the same conclusion. What had her interest were the readings. From the looks of things they were not old. She motioned, "Pull up those readings McGee."

Tim did it and saw what Abby was getting at. They were biometric readings of a human system and they weren't stills taken at random intervals. They were real time readings. That was impossible unless there was an active connection… "Abbs I think…"

"You would be right Agent McGee."

Both Tim and Abby looked up to see a middle aged and physically fit man with dark hair, streaked with grey looking at them. He was holding something that looked like a cell phone and studied the pair. He walked in saying, "I was wondering where he hid that thing. It's made life extremely difficult."

Abby was the one to react, "Hold it right there. Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Forgive me Ms. Scuito," the man replied. "I'm here to retrieve some data and hopefully resolve outstanding issues and possibly save an old friend's life. That drive you have is what I need."

Abby wasn't convinced and she narrowed her eyes. She would protect her Timmy. "And you're not one of NCIS. Only they and the alphabet soup have been authorized."

"Of course," the man replied. He made a sweeping gesture of apology. "Again my apologies. It was never meant to go this far. Unfortunately I didn't expect her to decide to clean house."

Tim decided to take charge even though he felt disadvantaged at the moment. He closed the laptop and put it on his lap and said, "Wait a minute. You know Caldwell and what he was doing?"

"Of course. He was my inside man on what our work jump-started."

"And that is?"

"Top Secret."

Tim raised a brow, "You really want to pull that now?"

"You're right. I forget that you are quite skilled Agent McGee. I think you once hacked into CIA."

Tim bit back a retort. He thought about what Gibbs would do in a situation like this. He remembered when Gibbs asked him to do a few things that would require the get out of jail free card. He cleared his throat, "So you know about me…"

"And Ms. Scuito. Brilliant forensic scientist and a bit unconventional in mannerisms but then again I can't blame JJR for being the same in his investigative capabilities."

"Who are you?" Tim continued as if he had never been interrupted.

"The name is Gibson. James Gibson. And I have information that may help you."

* * *

Tony looked at the building they had come to park in front of at Norfolk. He was familiar with most naval bases and he had been on a few ships in his time with NCIS. This didn't look like something that could provide anything that could be useful. Yet when Gibbs told him to gear up, he followed without question. What Gibbs said usually had a purpose and he had learned that the hard way a few times. Still he couldn't help but say, "Doesn't look like much, Boss."

"No need for it to be pretty, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied as he walked forward. "We're here to ask about Leland."

"You mean about that thing with Probie?" DiNozzo purposely used the nickname that he occasionally saddled Tim with when trying to be difficult. It was the best thing he could come up with considering the company they were keeping. He hadn't failed to spot the tail that Hicks set on them and he knew that Gibbs hadn't either.

"Yep. Caldwell wasn't Caldwell and more likely was someone he knew."

"Thinking spook, Boss?"

"Not ruling it out."

Gibbs led the way into the building. It was like Ray told him to expect. There was the usual BS with the paperwork. The CO deigned to be courteous and showed inclination to follow the warrant that Vance managed to get expedited. So now they were being escorted by a small Navy Lieutenant who almost jumped when he asked a question.

"The Archives hold records of every known project developed. Most were test missions for the field equipment that the military currently uses. Documents and notes on prototypes were kept here." The lieutenant opened the door into the Archives and timidly stood aside to let Gibbs and Tony in.

Tony stepped in fully expecting shelves full of boxes and file cards… virtually like the evidence warehouse Baltimore PD had. Here it was completely devoid of that. In the far end there was a computer terminal and along the walls were things that looked like modern space heaters even with the red lights blinking. "McGeek Heaven," he muttered under his breath.

Gibbs was thinking the same thing as he stepped in. It was tempting to smile at DiNozzo's comment. Instead he asked, "The files Lt. Robbins?"

Lt. Robbins jerked slightly as Gibbs addressed her. She smoothed the already smooth wings of her hair that had been swept into a nondescript bun and made sure her thin wire framed glasses were firmly on her face before responding, "Everything is digitized Agent Gibbs. HOPPER…" She pointed at the terminal and continued, "Hopper contains every single project. He is the Archives." She gave a slight smile of pride.

_Definitely McGeek's territory_, Tony thought to himself. He looked round and decided one of the tower things was of interest. He reached out to touch it only to have it slapped. He looked to find Lt. Robbins looking at him in a way that reminded him of one of the teachers he knew at boarding school.

Lt. Robbins said, "Please don't touch. Hopper is sensitive to unfamiliar hands and you were about to touch the cooling systems. If it were shut down, that would be bad."

"I can imagine," Tony replied as he rubbed his hand. He frowned a little thinking how laughable it was that a little mouse of girl hit that hard.

"We have over 200 active projects that are also monitored by Hopper. If the system goes down, operations overseas are at jeopardy." Lt. Robbins looked at Tony with a serious expression. "It's not a toy."

Gibbs was rather amused by the lieutenant and how she handled Tony. It was like watching Tim get an occasional one up on his senior field agent. After taking a moment, he said, "Can you look up a file for us Lt. Robbins?"

Lt. Robbins gave one last hard look at Tony before turning towards Gibbs. She straightened up and continued as she had before, "Cmdr. Taylor related that I am to help you in any way I can in accordance to the terms of your search warrant."

Gibbs gave a slight nod as if he were giving her permission. This was her area and if he had Tim around, things would probably go faster. Though he would probably have to deal with the lieutenant doing some grab ass… if it were possible. "Please."

Lt. Robbins gave a slight smile and walked over to the chair. She sat down primly and activated the console. She pulled up the login screen and entered in her ID and password. She then turned in the swiveled chair to look at Gibbs. She folded her hands in her lap. "Is there a particular project you are looking for?"

It was risky and Gibbs wasn't even sure if they would find anything. Best to start things small. He replied, "Can you pull up everything on what Leland was working on?"

"We have four projects active with Leland Biotechnics. Is there something more specific?"

Gibbs glanced at Tony who moved to make sure that no one was heading their way and to keep an eye out for any of Hicks' men. He then said, "Can you use Lt. Caldwell as a search word?"

"If he was a senior project leader then he will be easy to pull up," Lt. Robbins replied as she typed away. She looked at the results and made a slight sound. "Oh."

"Anything?"

"Lt. Caldwell is the senior leader on Project JJR. It's still active and it looks like it was about to be sent to the testing stage. The schedule sets it for today but it seems there is a delay."

That was to be expected. After all, the product was stolen. Gibbs nodded and replied, "Any reason why?"

"No. I'll print a copy of the file for you."

"Alright." Gibbs paused a moment before asking, "Do you have anything regarding Operation Dead Zone?"

Lt. Robbins frowned at the request. That was an operation. There were very few of those that had been archived and they were fairly recent. Anything older was dumped and shipped to DC. She entered in the search terms and was surprised when it popped up. She read the initial file and made a slight sound, "Um…"

"Problem?" Gibbs studied the lieutenant.

Lt. Robbins couldn't believe it and stuttered, "Um… I need to get a senior…" She started to get up from her chair.

Gibbs held her by the arm gently. He looked at the lieutenant in the eye and replied, "I need you to get me everything about that op. Everything."

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like big risks and things hidden are coming out. Lets see where it takes us next time on Operation Dead Zone...


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

It was a simple matter of walking in through the front door. There was nothing to it as long as you had the proper ID and people didn't look twice at you if you were nondescript in appearance. That made it easy for Ray to bypass the gate and initial security. Plus it helped that he had official IDs that were cover aliases and that he picked up a few tricks on how to make slight changes to his appearance without going overly drastic.

Giving Hicks' men the slip was easy since Gibbs furnished the distraction. It allowed him to slip into the main building and to the elevator. It was sheer luck that no one decided to ride his car at the time. He would have hated to be done so early in this part of the game. So in the end the ride down was easy as well but that didn't mean diligence could be let up and he tensed the whole way down but once he was out, he appeared like he belonged there.

With autopsy in sight, Ray paused and checked his watch. Right at the time, he saw Ducky walk out and was followed by Palmer. He couldn't help but give a slight smile. He had made it clear that he would not have anyone else implicated even though that sounded stupid considering that Hicks was watching everyone on Team Gibbs. Still it was better to not give any more ammunition than necessary. Besides, he liked Ducky a lot.

Once Ducky and Palmer were gone, Ray snuck into autopsy and stayed out of sight of the cameras. Even with the reassurance that Hicks' men would be distracted and following Gibbs and the rest of the team around, it still paid off to be cautious. He looked around and made his way to Ducky's computer.

It was easy to get into the network. Hell he did it on day one with his NCIS issued laptop. Even with the security firewalls, he got through them, tricking the system that he was Ducky. It was cakewalk for him and he managed to access the autopsy report on Lt. Caldwell. He pulled up the file and debated on what to go through.

Deciding to fast track, he went to the report with the chart and notes. He read through the notes and noted Ducky's suspicions about the surgery scars and the dyed hair and contact lens. Well Gibbs was right in determining that the guy wasn't who everyone thought he was. It blatantly spelled out spook or undercover but there could be other reasons too but considering that he was in a case that brought up old memories and an old op… he was willing to go with the idea of a spook hiding in Leland.

Ray pursed his lips as he bypassed the tox results and the other notes. He did pause when he got to the notation about finding the fake vein in the lieutenant's arm. He frowned slightly at that and thought about a case in Vegas where a guy tried to beat a paternity rap. This was something similar but this time it was to beat an ID but that didn't make much sense.

Sighing, Ray flipped through the notes. There was a footnote that caught his attention. Ray highlighted it and pulled it up. What he saw had his eyes widen slightly. "No way."

Getting up, he walked over to the cooler. It wasn't hard to find the right drawer. Name and the case file number. Same deal in the desert. Ray had to marvel how everything about a person got reduced to a name and a file number. Soldiers were referred to by their serials and… there was a lot out there. He paused as he looked at the name plate written in the meticulous hand of Ducky. Taking a breath he popped open the door and pulled the slab out.

* * *

Ziva walked by the group that was clearly of Hicks' men, well man and he was manning the security cameras within the building. It seemed that Hicks had her own version of Tim within the ranks and from the looks of things, he was diligent in his work. She had noticed that he had a set schedule in terms of the rotation of looking at the cameras.

Half the time she went back and forth with reports on the reports she was doing for the current cases and occasionally she was supplying Balboa's team with input. It gave her the excuse to walk right by the corner that Hicks' had staked out. It appeared that Hicks decided to man the bullpen for the day and didn't seem at all perturbed that Gibbs and Tony went out to Norfolk.

On her run back to her desk, she paused by Tim's desk and noticed that the extra chair had been exactly as how Ray had left it. The last thing that he had been doing in that chair was going over some data with Tim. They were talking what Tony dubbed as McGeek speak and clearly enjoying some joke that was lost to the rest of the team but they understood it and couldn't help but give smiles and an occasional chuckle. Ziva couldn't help but smile especially since the time Tony teased Tim and they both came back with the same rejoinder.

While she was working, she checked her watch and noted that it was about half way through Ducky and Palmer's lunch. If their surprise visitor was supposed to drop by, he didn't have much time left to get himself out. She took a deep breath to calm herself as she reached for the cup of tea that was now cold on her desk and went back to work on the current assignment she was doing. It was boring paperwork but it kept her where she needed to be.

"I'm surprised that Agent Gibbs didn't bring you along Agent David."

Ziva looked up to see Olivia Hicks looking at her with a sort of smug smile. Having been trained as a Mossad agent, she had learned to trust her gut and it was very much like Gibbs' and at the moment it was telling her that Hicks was up to something. So her guard was up and ready to play ball. She replied, "Agent Gibbs needs information and it comes from all sources. Not all of it is glamorous."

Hicks raised her brow as Ziva went to work on her computer occasionally frowning at some of the information that was on the screen. "A little hard to do a search? Missing your McGeek?"

Ziva didn't appreciate the name calling from Hicks and firmly corrected her, "It's McGee and there is no trouble at all. We all do our part."

"But from my understanding, Agent Gibbs always sends you out with Agent DiNozzo. Why the change?"

Ziva knew that question was a set up. Hicks had come back from interrogating Tim not too long ago and she looked pissed. Ziva guessed that maybe someone, namely a Goth that was possessive of her geek with a gun, went down there since Gibbs had implied it when they were in the lab. Now the woman was determined to find something since she couldn't find Ray. She replied, "Agent DiNozzo has a way of getting lab techs to talk." She gave a sweet smile that belied her feelings.

Hicks returned the smile and replied, "I'm sure Agent DiNozzo has many talents."

"He is capable," Ziva replied. "Now if you will excuse me, I have work to do."

"You will go when I say you do," Hicks countered. She narrowed her eyes to make her intent clear.

Ziva looked up at Hicks. She had the info she had begun digging on Olivia Hicks and so far she got what everyone talked about and that was how ruthless she was as a cleaner for the Pentagon. Of course Gibbs would not have her searching without a reason so she would dig deeper. She replied, "Then do not be surprised if you are arrested for obstruction."

"You think that protects you?"

"Problem here?"

Ziva looked up at Fornell. She hadn't noticed his arrival. She assumed that he would be following the leads that his team dug up on Ray. It was a relief because she was entertaining the notice of jumping up from her seat and strangle the woman. She replied, "No, Agent Fornell. I was just getting back to a report that Gibbs needs."

Fornell looked at Hicks and the woman became a bit sullen and walked away. Ziva and Fornell watched as she moved over to her tech man. She looked at Fornell and said, "Thank you Fornell."

Fornell gave a slight chuckle, "I get the feeling that you would have shot her if you thought you could get away with it."

"Actually I want to strangle her," Ziva replied as she glanced over at Hicks. She noticed that something was going on. She couldn't give things away. "How is your investigation?"

"If you mean if we found him, then no," Fornell replied. "I suspect Gibbs knows something otherwise why would you be here?"

"I am just finishing a report," Ziva replied with a slight smile. She had been watching Hicks and she was bent over the computer. Something was up.

Fornell caught Ziva's look and noticed what she say too. He figured something must be up. "Well I better go keep Hicks in line. We may be working together but she has no idea what she's dealing with here at NCIS."

Ziva waited until Fornell started moving to get to work. She put in a USB drive into her computer and began downloading everything that she had found on Hicks. Something wasn't right and she was making sure that she had a means of still helping if it looked like things were going to get messy. She made it look like she was finishing her paperwork and she fished her weapon out of the drawer she kept locked. By then the download was finished and she put it in her pocket.

Standing up and holding the file folder, she saw that Hicks was speaking into her radio. Ziva decided to assume worst case scenario on this one. She moved towards the elevator and blended in with the group heading down.

* * *

"Ma'am, I just noticed something on the camera for autopsy."

Hicks moved to get a view. "Show me."

The tech pulled up the feed and the recording. It showed a shadow moving within the room. Hicks noted the time and saw that the ME and his assistant were on their lunch hour. Anyone else would not be so careful about keeping out of sight of the cameras. It was him.

Hicks gave a slow smile and nodded. She knew that he would eventually come out of hiding. He may profess to not care but she knew better. He would want to clear his name and see justice for everyone. That was who he was and she learned that the hard way.

_The general was waiting in his office. Hicks recognized that posture. That meant that this was a serious thing. He was tapping the infamous fountain pen on the surface. She asked, "You asked to see me sir?"_

_ "Yes. The matter concerns the recent op that you were to oversee. The SAR of those two 'Customs' agents."_

_ "Yes sir."_

_ "I've had a very disturbing report submitted by the team leader in charge of the extraction. Apparently there was an incident with the extraction. Something about the transport not being where it was supposed to be."_

_ Hicks shuffled uncomfortably. "It was a tactical error sir."_

_ "Tactical error indeed. It almost cost the lives of those agents and a perfectly good extraction team. You were lucky the team leader was able to get everyone out. He even went so far to say that it was a minor error in the coordinates. Pretty generous if you ask me."_

_Pretty generous indeed_, Hicks thought to herself as she looked at the images. It ended up really messing with her career. She was still in the office but things were never the same. She still oversaw the special projects but nothing major. Then this happened. Now she was going to get him. The self-righteous bastard.

She pulled out her radio as she watched the direct feed. She was certain it was him. She said, "Watch 2, this is Watch 1."

_Watch 2, over._

"Watch 2, unauthorized personnel in autopsy."

_Proceeding to autopsy._

Hicks paused slightly before saying, "Watch 2… it's him."

_Roger that._

Hicks stood up and grinned. She was going to get him. Yet there was no way that she was going to sit this one out. Checking to make sure that she had her weapon ready, she gave orders for the tech to keep watching and to inform of any progress. She started walking unaware that she was being followed by Fornell until they were in the elevator. She inwardly groaned at the prospect of taking a ride with the FBI agent who seemed to stonewall her at every turn.

* * *

Ray went over the body meticulously. He recalled everything that Gibbs had mentioned and the notes that Ducky had taken. When he read the notes, he couldn't believe it. He still was having trouble believing it as he went over the body.

There was nothing on the lower limbs but he checked anyway. It was then he got to the arms and he moved his hands over them using the latex gloves that he snaked from Ducky's stash. He wasn't stupid and he wasn't going to leave anything behind. It was also force of habit regarding any investigation… even the non-sanctioned ones and the clandestine ones like the one he was currently getting involved with.

The right arm revealed nothing as expected. The left though was something else. As soon as he saw it, Ray knew for certain that he knew who Caldwell really was. He fingered the tattoo, his finger rubbing the image as he took it in and remembered.

_The building had been secured but his gut was telling him that something wasn't right. Besides they were to leave soon anyway and because of the village up in arms, the timetable had been moved up. Ray looked on as Gibson came out with a nondescript bag that he acted like held the whole world. He was followed by Connolly holding a similar bag. His sleeves were rolled up on his shirt and it was then that he noticed the tattoo._

_ It was of Islamic design. It was like the art he had seen on the prayer rugs and tapestries. Ray knew that Islamic tradition dictated that it was sacrilege to paint images of Allah. True art was in the suras and the praises offered in the Arabic script. Ray was familiar with it. He walked with Connolly to cover their sixes while Wilkins covered point. He said, "Nice art."_

_ Connolly looked at his tattoo and then rolled down the sleeve. "It is for someone."_

_ "Honoring someone you respect?"_

_ "Someone I love." Connolly looked at Ray as they made their way to the main courtyard of the compound._

_ Ray was covering their sixes but he had his eye on the conversation. He checked with his gun at the ready. He replied, "I understand. Is it a sura?" It was polite to ask since he had seen work done with traditional praises to Allah._

_ "Her name." Connolly went quiet and they continued with the extraction…_

Ray looked at the tattoo. He had told Ducky that the one on his shoulder was in regards to a fallen Marine. That was not exactly true but it was the one he told to keep people from prying too much. People usually did back off and what he learned about Ducky was that he was respectful of privacy and commented on his taste in the body art.

"Connolly, what were you up to?"

It was rhetorical but it made him feel better about the whole thing. So Connolly was Lt. Caldwell and it was like Ducky's notes suggested. The man had undergone extensive reconstructive surgery to change his appearance. It was making the whole thing regarding Dead Zone appear more complicated than what he originally thought.

A noise got his attention and he looked to see if someone was at the doors to autopsy. He checked his watch and realized that he needed to get out of there. It was about time for Ducky and Palmer to be making their way back from their lunch. He zipped up the body bag and made sure everything was in its place and slid the slab back in. He made sure everything was secure before closing the door. Then it was a simple matter of powering down the computer and getting the hell out without being seen. The gloves he knew better than to ditch in the building since it is possible to pull prints from a set of latex gloves.

Knowing that he had lingered too long, Ray, made sure everything was back the way it was. He ducked out the door and was around the corner just as Hicks and her man came down and they were joined by Ducky and Palmer. If it were the time or place, he would have gladly stuck around to see the confusion on everyone's faces since it was well known that Hicks had ruled out autopsy and the ME and his assistant had no idea why she would be down there.

Ray made his way through the halls, looking like he had somewhere to go. It was the most basic of tricks. If you looked like you belonged then chances were that people would leave you alone and assume you belonged. It was scary on how well it worked with federal agents and Ray had used it enough times in front of them. Hell when he first met Gibbs, the man thought he was a black market dealer that was a sailor and he kept that up until Gibbs nearly had his head blown off. It was proof that even the most diligent of agents could be duped.

Ray knew that he needed to go up a level if he was to get out via the cark park so he used the stairs and started walking. It was unfortunate that Ned Dorneget was in the hall at the time he started walking through. Ray hoped that just by walking through he could make a getaway. That wasn't going to happen.

Special Agent Ned Dorneget was on his way back to the evidence locker after his lunch and decided to take an alternate route. Along the way, he passed by another agent going in the opposite direction. It had been only a brief moment but Dorneget thought he recognized the agent and had to do a double take. He turned and asked, "Hey, are you…?"

Ray recognized Dorneget. He never spoke to the man but he had seen him in passing when he was taking a break in the break area. They never spoke to each other but Ray noticed that Dorneget kept looking at him like he knew him or more likely out of idle curiosity. Gossip did spread like wildfire amongst the agents. He found out that there was a pool going on various agents on whether or not they were going to take the next step, who would propose… the usual. He thought thatjust by walking like nothing was wrong, he wouldn't have to talk but he was stopped by Dorneget's question. Ray still walking though and replied, "No." It sounded rude but he wanted to deter the agent.

Dorneget was persistent and kept up. "Well you look like someone I know."

Ray looked straight ahead and kept walking, "Happens a lot kid." He turned a corner. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Dorneget was aware that he may have offended the agent but he just couldn't drop it. "Yeah but really, I think I've seen you somewhere before."

"Lot of agents. I bet some of us do look alike."

Dorneget managed to catch up and get a good look at the profile of the agent he was questioning. He stopped him and said, "Wait I do know you."

It would be a good time to panic since Ray didn't know Dorneget very well and usually it was best to assume that if it wasn't your team, then more likely they will turn you in. He also knew that haste led to mistakes and into the grave or slammer, depending on the situation. He could still play it off and attempted to do so, "You must be mistaken. I get that a lot kid."

As he started forward, he was stopped by Dorenget, "No, I do know you. You're him."

Ray didn't want to hurt the guy in an attempt to incapacitate him. "Kid…"

"I know who you are Agent… Salazaar," Dorneget replied saying the last name in a whisper. He looked around to make sure that they weren't being watched. "I know you didn't do what they say you did."

Ray looked at the agent and thought the world was going to pieces. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I do." Dorenget looked at Ray. He knew he was setting himself up for trouble but he rather liked the agent that had everyone talking. "I know you didn't do it and Hicks is wrong."

Ray sighed and looked around. If he lingered anymore, the risk of getting caught ran high. "Doesn't mean you shouldn't turn me in or attempt it."

"Why? You would just knock me out if I did. I can help."

Ray looked around trying to think of a way out of this. "Dorney I can't let you get into trouble. Vance has enough problems with me deciding to check out AMA and not even that from Bethesda. You'll ruin your career. Hicks will make sure of that."

"My choice," Dorneget replied. "I know another way out to get you into the car park." He looked at Ray and added, "I won't say a word to Hicks or anyone."

"That's not going to be the problem," Ray murmured. He shifted a little when he felt the dull throb in his lower back. His pain killers were running out. "The problem is you being involved."

"Like I said, my choice." Dorneget looked around and then said, "Come on."

Ray sighed thinking this was a bad idea. He fell in step with Dorneget and they walked like they were partners. He was concerned since he had never seen Dorneget with a partner and wondered what others would think if they say them together. Still there was little choice and Dorneget was eager to help and experience cited that could be a good thing or a bad thing.

Ray followed Dorneget through the halls. They were almost towards the car park and that would be freedom on his end. Maybe that was a good thing but considering his luck in the grand scheme of things…

"Almost there," Dorneget said in a shushed whisper.

Ray nodded and moved a little behind Dorneget. He couldn't say why but his gut said it was a good idea though it could be that being in pain was making him stupid. It made itself known as they rounded the corner and came face to face with one of Hicks' men.

It was instant as the agent recognized the man wanted by Hicks and pulled out his gun and pointed it at Ray saying, "Don't move."

* * *

**A/N:** And you would think that Ray could catch a break once in a while. Maybe he did with Agent Dorney but now it looks like he's been caught. What will happen next? Stay tuned for next time on Operation Dead Zone...


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Ray had his hands raised as well as Dorneget. He knew that Hicks' men would shoot to kill if he gave them any trouble. He had no weapon and he had an innocent bystander. That really increased his odds and made a bad day worse. He said, "Hey, you got me. Let Dorneget go. I was using him and he had no way or getting out of it."

"Right," the guy said. He raised his radio and called to Hicks, "Watch 1, this is Watch 3, I got him. South corridor. Seems like he had some help."

_On our way._

Ray looked at the guy with the gun and saw the look that crossed his face. If he was going to do this, he was going to have to time it perfectly. "Hey, I forced Dorneget to help."

"Yeah right. More likely he volunteered."

Dorneget had followed the drift that Ray was setting. He said, "Oh it's true. He threatened me if I didn't show him the way out."

"You think I was born yesterday?"

_Maybe…_ Ray kept the thought to himself. He looked at the agent pointing the gun at him and kept a calm demeanor.

"If you were forced Dorneget, why do you still have your weapon?"

That was a valid question. Ray hoped that it wouldn't be noticed but the bluff was called. Now it was time to actually play it off. "Good question. Maybe it was because I didn't want to make it look like he was being coerced. After all in a place where almost everyone carries a gun… it would look a little bit out of place if I were pointing his own gun back at him."

There was logic to it and the agent faltered a little at it. He hadn't expected a comeback like that and he wasn't sure of what to do next. It also helped that a slight noise distracted him, providing Ray the opportunity he needed and he reached out and grabbed the gun to take it away. He ended up with it in his own hand and he pointed it at the agent who raised his hands. Ray came close and said, "Sorry about this," and gave a hard enough hit to knock the guy out. He sighed and said, "And I so was against this Gunny."

Dorneget was surprised at the sudden movement Ray made. He had been astute enough to realize that the wanted agent was trying to keep the ax from falling on his neck. So he played along though he did wonder how he was going to get around the fact that he still had his weapon. It played out and he slowly lowered his hands and said, "I never saw anyone do that before."

"Risky but possible," Ray replied as he dropped his arm. He didn't release the gun though and it just hung in his hand. He looked at Dorneget and said, "Dorney you need to get out or…"

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me," Dorneget replied. He didn't like the idea of getting hit but it was the best he could do since Ray sold the idea that he had been forced into this. He explained, "If you hit me then it will look more like you coerced me into helping you. Make it a bit more believable."

Ray looked at Dorneget, thinking that he was being ridiculous but he did recognize that the idea had merit. At least it would save the kid's career to a degree. The worst thing that could happen was to remain a probie his entire life. "You're a good agent Dorney."

Dorneget gave a slight smile. "Thanks." He then stood to brace himself for the blow.

Ray nodded and looked at the gun in his hand. This was definitely going to hurt but he had to make it believable. He almost hit Dorneget when a voice shouted, "Freeze!"

Ray sharply turned. It was a mistake since he had the gun in his hand but when he saw who it was that shouted, he knew that it wouldn't matter if he had a gun or not. He shouted for Dorneget to get down and he took refuge behind the corner just as Hicks fired.

Ray had the door in his sights and saw Dorneget on the ground with his arms over his head. He peered around and saw Hicks with Fornell. Hicks fired at him again and he duck and covered. He peeked around and fired a couple of warning shots to stop her from advancing. He needed distance if he was going to get out. Reaching out to the unconscious agent, he felt for the spare clips that was a general rule in terms of law enforcement and tucked them in the jacket he was wearing.

Looking over at Dorneget who was hidden on the other side, he said in a low voice, "Stay there Dorney. Don't move or she will shoot."

Dorneget nodded that he understood and stayed put. Ray looked at the door. He had to make a run for it but he needed to provide his own cover fire. Taking a deep breath, he got to his feet and got ready to sprint. When he was ready, he peered around the corner and fired a couple of rounds to force Fornell and Hicks to take cover and took the opportunity to run.

Hicks peered around after the shots and she frowned at the lack of firing. Slowly she stood up and walked forward. The hall was narrow and there was no way anyone was hiding. With a grim expression she made her way to where the fugitive was standing. She held her gun up and looked around. She had one of hers down and out and there was one of NCIS's agents on the ground. His hands were cuffed behind his back and he was looking around trying to see.

There was no sign of the fugitive. Hicks wasn't going to give up though. She knew he was trying to get out. She looked at Fornell who was helping Dorneget to his feet and pulled out her radio and said, "All units, the suspect is here in the building. Proceed with lockdown. Suspect is armed and dangerous. Shoot on sight."

Fornell looked at her and said, "Are you out of your mind?"

Hicks coolly replied, "He has one of my men's guns and he shot at us." She got close and spoke in a low and threatening voice, "He is not some NCIS agent. He is a trained killer Agent Fornell. The only way to make sure he is taken down is physical force. Now if you interfere with my methods I will make hell for you. Agent Dorneget, you are to be held pending questioning."

Fornell glared at Hicks. She conveniently forgot that it was a joint task force. If his guys got Gibbs' agent at least he wouldn't be harmed. He waited until Hicks disappeared before calling on his radio, "All agents this is Fornell. Suspect is in the building. He is armed but not dangerous. Suspect is to be taken alive at all costs."

Fornell looked at Dorneget as he uncuffed him. "You're lucky kid." That was all anyone could say since he suspected that the agent he had helped somewhere along the line.

* * *

Director Vance was getting through the usual but decided to take a break and call his wife Jackie. They were discussing plans for dinner and what they were going to do since the kids were staying with some friends for the night. He suspected that Gibbs had a reason for the field trip to Norfolk since it would have been just as efficient to get someone from Norfolk to bring what he needed there. He wasn't stupid though and figured that something involving their missing agent was in play. It had been on his mind the whole day as he said, "Really? You sure? You know the family secret in that is bourbon."

The indignation on the other end had him smiling. He replied, "I know Jackie. It sounds good. Love you."

Just as he hung up the alarm buzzed. It was indication that the emergency alarms had been triggered within the building. Vance stood up and went to his secretary and asked what was going on. His expression said that he wasn't going to stand for any bullshit.

"Sir, shots have been reported fired within the building. Hicks' men are saying that the suspect is in the building."

Vance grew thoughtful. He also thought that it was an unnecessary risk that his agent had pulled but knowing Gibbs and this one, there had to be a good reason for it. He walked out to overlook the bullpen. He knew that Ziva David had been told to stay behind while Tony and Gibbs went to Norfolk. She might be in a better position to know what was going on.

He scanned the bullpen and saw nothing of Ziva. He knew that she had been sitting at her desk all day on this. To not see her there had his senses on alert. It seemed that Gibbs had covered all aspects of this and it looked like Ziva agreed to be a part of this a great risk. It seemed that the penchant for taking risks rubbed off on his agents. The least he could do was extend some help while appearing to follow protocol in regards to the employees. He gave the order that his agents were to secure all personnel and to check all IDs including the visitors. That would slow down Hicks enough and he was shrewd enough to guess that Fornell would be able to handle his agents.

It was a surprise when Fornell brought up Agent Ned Dorneget and he asked, "What is going on Agent Fornell?"

"Seems like our suspect came back to the coop," Fornell replied while holding onto Dorneget. "Seems that he had a little help but was very good at forcing it out. Picked a probie to do it."

Vance looked Dorneget over. He noticed that the agent's weapon was still in place and raised his brow over that. Most people being forced into something usually had their weapon taken. He commented, "Looks like he blended in as an agent."

Fornell replied, "Seems that way. Knocked out one of Hicks' men and took his weapon. My guys are on it."

Vance nodded, "Perhaps you should go to insure that the suspect is brought in alive. I'll handle Agent Dorneget while the agency continues its lockdown."

Fornell nodded in understanding and left Dorneget with Vance. Vance looked at the junior agent and saw that he was getting increasingly nervous. He had no doubt that the agent volunteered to help his missing agent. For whatever reason, Vance was curious about since it seemed to be a sort of natural thing that Ray Salazaar could do. "So you were coerced Agent Dorneget?" He said it more to himself than directly at the agent.

Dorneget stood there, not sure of what to say. Finally he said, "Agent Salazaar came in and threatened me to help him gain access to the building. When he was finished, he cuffed me."

Vance gave a slight smile of approval. "I see. Come with me Agent Dorneget. I want to hear all about it since it's going to be a while."

Dorneget wasn't sure where this was leading. He knew that if he were grilled enough, he would be put under the gun so to speak. It was possible that he would jeopardize his place within NCIS if he was caught telling a lie. Still an order was an order and he followed the director into his office and prayed silently that it wasn't going to be that bad.

* * *

The way out had been simple but that was because at the time Ray didn't have federal agents chasing after him and under the impression that he was armed and dangerous. Well he was armed since he did steal a gun from one of Hicks' men. The defense he had was self-defense but even he knew that didn't fly since he was technically a fugitive.

He had managed to make it to the stairs and started making his way through. It was harder since he had to keep an eye out for Hicks' men and he had no idea how many more she might have aside from the tails she put on Team Gibbs. He tucked his stolen weapon into the waistband of his pants and made sure his coat was covering it. He wasn't sure but he was beginning to think that the place was a maze designed to prevent what he was attempting to do. It was that or he was going crazy since he was feeling the dull throb grow worse.

Not much had changed since he had last been in the building even with the explosion that Harper Dearing left behind. So Ray decided it was the fact that he felt like crap being in pain and he had a headache coming on. It just wasn't a good day but he managed to find the energy to keep going and get out.

It was the logical and sane thing to do by turning himself in. Yet Ray knew that it wasn't going to end there. Hicks would be out to crucify him. She never did forgive him for what she deemed was the end of her career. Hell he didn't even know her until he was brought before the general for his report that told the truth to the letter and he even went so far to say that it was a tactical error that was a minor oversight.

It really wasn't but he wasn't going to make a big deal over it. He knew from experience that even the best laid plans often got sidetracked. That's what usually happened in situations like battle and other things. Hicks didn't see it that way though and made it her mission to see him destroyed. He could figure that he was lucky enough to escape her wrath with Dead Zone and even then it was light no matter how unjust it was.

_People need a scapegoat and seems like I'm the one that is first in line._

Ray rounded a corner and saw a line of people. They were getting checked and from the looks of things by NCIS agents. He thought about it for a moment and figured that if Hicks alerted he was there, Vance would make sure all personnel were accounted for and that meant the building was going on lockdown. Taking a chance, he walked forward and joined the line.

The agents there looked at his ID and badge and took a look at him. He had on glasses and had changed his hair style slightly though there wasn't much you could do when you had a cut that was on par with Gibbs' cut. At first it looked like they would recognize him and detain him but the agents cleared the ID he had obtained and would probably have Vance on his ass about faking an agency ID. Technically though it was the real deal just a different name and number along with the badge.

Ray passed through the checkpoint and milled through with the rest of the employees as they were huddled into their areas. He managed to slip out and down another hall and no one was the wiser. It was short lived though when a pair of Hicks' men rounded the corner and spotted him. Ray knew that they recognized him. No doubt Hicks would have fed them a picture of what he looked like. "It's him. Get him."

Ray reacted and pushed through the emergency exit. Immediately the alarms sounded and it covered up the sound of gunfire. Hicks was not going to be able to ignore and emergency alarm that meant they had to evac. He did know that he was going to be pursued as he ran down the stairs and reached for the weapon that he had hidden behind him.

"Freeze!"

Ray was not going to obey that and dove for cover as the agents fired. Ray fired back to force them to take cover. He was not going to shoot them unless there was no other way. At least forcing them to take cover allowed him to move towards the car park since now he might have to steal a vehicle and make a getaway. He could practically hear the budget and automotive guys argue over that one.

He picked his way to the car park even though he could hear footsteps and shots being fired. He rounded to where the usual cars were and he was caught by Hicks and another of her guys. She said, "Freeze Salazaar."

"Not a chance Hicks," Ray replied and ducked as she fired.

The sparks from bullets bouncing off the cars reminded Ray of a few missions that had similar appearances. That was the problem with this line of work; you tend to remember certain things and they weren't always pleasant. Sighing, he checked his ammo and noted that he still had the two spare clips that he took with him. At least he put Dorneget in a better position by handcuffing him and Hicks saw him about to hit the kid.

_Try explaining that one bitch._

Ray normally didn't swear but at this point he was in the mood. He needed to get out of the Navy Yard and from the way things were, he was not going to have enough time to hotwire a car. He could try and get out on foot but even Hicks knew that he was still suffering injuries and with people looking out for him; that was not going to make things easy at all. He moved through the cars avoiding the shots as best as he could but ended up getting boxed in.

As it turned out, Hicks had been quick on the draw to flank him and he did what he would normally do and try to make it difficult. He had been outmaneuvered though and had gotten into a position where it would require something like backup and he wasn't going to get it anytime soon. The best he could do was to hold out and maybe, if he was lucky, Hicks would make a mistake.

* * *

Hicks was certain that Ray would be heading towards the car park. It was logical since he could hotwire a vehicle and then later dump it when he had some distance. That would be the only reason why he would be in this part of the building.

It had been embarrassing to have missed him in autopsy and the ME and his assistant were insistent that they didn't know anything. Then Agent Fornell's persistence that they had nothing to do with anything… he was good but she could be better. She would get him and end this once and for all.

It was unexpected when NCIS agents appeared and started running checks on all personnel including her and her men. She almost shouted at one of them but the agent was unmovable and in the end she submitted to a check. She suspected that he took longer with hers than necessary just to spite her but he did let her through.

Then the emergency exit alarms sounded and she thought she heard the distinct sound of gunfire. She then began barking orders and told the NCIS agents to get the others out of the way. She put her hand on her weapon, ready to go when she needed to as she called on her radio to her men and demand a report.

_Suspect exited the building. Heading towards car park._

Hicks grinned and said to her partner, "Let's go." Into the radio she said, "All units suspect has been located. Move onto location."

She went to a roundabout way to cut him off. She knew that if he had time to break in and hotwire a car, then the window of opportunity of arresting him would quickly go out the window. So the best thing to do was to head him off and try to catch him. She knew that she would have to make an effort to arrest him but there was always the chance that he wasn't going to go quietly and that would be a perfect excuse to get rid of him.

It worked out that she cut him off. She had him in her sights and could have made a shot but she yelled for him to freeze. Then he had to be crazy and duck for cover. So she had to shoot him. Actually she was going to shoot him anyway but he must've read her intent in her body language and dove out of the way before she could fire. He was good and she suspected that he had manipulated the situation so that the NCIS agent that he 'forced' to help him would be in less trouble. Like that would work.

She had her men close in on Ray and was surprised that he was firing back. Well if he wanted to dig his own grave then so be it. She took cover behind a vehicle and motioned for one of her men to flank him. Her partner had moved to try and get a jump on him. She called out, "Give it up Salazaar. We've got you surrounded."

"You know how clichéd that sounds?"

Hicks scowled. She should have remembered what a smartass he could be. It was like talking to Agent DiNozzo when she questioned him earlier. "It's the truth and you know it. You have nowhere to go and you're hurt. Do you really think that you can make it on your own?"

"And are you that anxious to help me?"

Hicks didn't even grace him with that answer. She didn't need to since he continued, "I know that you're not. Still thinking that your position is my fault?"

Hicks felt her jaw twitch. "You are a dangerous man Salazaar. You should have been imprisoned the day you got out alive at Dead Zone."

"For what? Following orders? Even that's a new one for you Hicks," he called back in a slightly scoffing tone.

Hicks looked over and saw that her man was almost on top of him. This could end quickly. She replied, "You know the details regarding that. You failed in your mission."

There was a short laugh followed by, "Failure? Everyone got out Hicks. _Everyone._"

There was nothing more since her man took a leap and there was some grunting and groaning. Hicks stood up and told her men to move in. They started to but it was short lived. It was the beginning of making this whole thing from professional to personal.

A car came squealing up and fast, forcing the agents to back off to avoid getting hit. Hicks dove for cover to avoid being hit. She watched as the car careened to a halt as it pulled the equivalent of a one-eighty and the passenger door flew open.

Hicks was on her feet immediately and held her gun up and started firing. The driver returned fire through the window. She was consistent and accurate. Hicks was surprised that she wasn't hit but it occurred to her that it was meant to be a distraction. She saw that when Ray appeared and dove for the open door but it looked like he was having trouble. She took a shot at him and she couldn't tell if he was hit or not but his body jerked as if he had been but then again he was hobbling of sorts.

Hicks tried to get him as he jumped into the passenger side of the car but she was forced to cover when the driver shot at her. At the squeal of tires, Hicks stood up and started shooting. She was followed by her men and they lined up to shoot at the vehicle. The most damage that they made on the car was shooting out the taillights.

Hicks growled at the fact that they couldn't catch up. Even if one of her guys got a car, he would be long gone. She felt her jaw twitch as she lowered her gun. She watched as the vehicle drove out of the Navy Yard and cursed.

**TBC...**

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like a shootout and a daring escape and Hicks is now thoroughly pissed. Who was it that saved Ray's butt? Find out more on part three of Operation Dead Zone...


	21. Operation Dead Zone: Part III

**Operation Dead Zone: Part III**

**Chapter 21**

The place was rather high end for a meeting but Simkins knew that appearances had to be kept up. He adjusted his dinner coat as he looked for his contact. He had been waiting on this meeting ever since the job had been completed and now they were here. It was time to initiate the rest of the plan and he could hardly wait.

He found his contact sitting at a table for two and made his way over to it. As soon as he got to the table, he said, "Pretty high end place for a meeting."

His contact looked up and replied, "Oh it wasn't for your benefit Simkins. I have a meeting with a very important client."

Simkins rolled his eyes slightly as he took his seat. "Always hobnobbing with the suits on the Hill; a gift you fully exploit Parker. You do look the part Syd."

Sydney Parker gave a smile that was more polite than friendly. She took a sip of the wine she had ordered. "And you look like you always do Simkins. You look like the podunk farm boy the day you joined the team."

"Seven generations of horse breeders Syd. So I know good stock when I see it," Simkins replied as he took a sip of the water that was on the table. He knew well enough not to cause a scene here at this place. He did lean in close though to make sure that they weren't overheard. "Now I know that you didn't call me here to discuss good stock of what we once were."

Sydney looked at Simkins as she took a sip of her wine. She knew that Simkins was about business. He could be sly on the goading and occasionally surprise you with flirting but when on a job, he took it as seriously as he did morning prayers. "No. I actually wanted to congratulate you on a job well done with the Leland job. The account has been funded."

"Rook showed up," Simkins replied.

"As I knew he would once he figured it out. Even you said that he would side with that pathetic agency of his," Sydney replied. She gave a coy smile at the thought. "It's no less than what he deserves for thinking outside of his unit." She spat the last part out with venom. She really had to control her temper since she was out in public but she couldn't help it every time she thought of JJ Rook as his code name went.

Simkins didn't quite agree with it but he could understand where she was coming from and that was a sore subject. "Rook is a bleeding heart and you know that. He would take in a stray dog on the side of the road."

"I know that," Sydney replied snappish. She calmed down though and continued, "Now that it's open season with him on our benefactor's end, we can proceed with the demonstration and show our interested party what he will be getting. I trust that since Rook is against us, your backup is capable?"

"He's not as good but he'll do," Simkins replied. He gave a small clearing of his throat, "I am a bit uncomfortable at who the client is that we are performing this demonstration for. If anything goes wrong, it could be called treason."

"Which is why a statement will be made with the demonstration," Sydney countered. "I learned much from DZ and what makes me different from Rook is that I won't fall on my own sword without anything to show from it. We all got burned Simkins but I picked myself up and distanced myself. Now we shall have revenge on the very people that burned us."

"You don't give a damn about Rook but you do give a damn about what they did to the team. Such a contradiction."

"Rook's beliefs in the team are idealistic, a fool's dream. I'm a realist. If I wasn't, where would you and the others be?"

Simkins nodded, "I see your point. It's a shame that we lost a couple on the job. Rook still has a deadly aim and one won't talk."

"He better not."

"He won't," Simkins reassured Sydney with a slight smile. "Let's just say that he will probably make things difficult for NCIS. Rook is on the run. Like you said we can carry forth the plan and show what they threw us into."

"I knew there was a reason why I liked you," Sydney smiled coyly. "You always knew when to pick up on the gist and you stay on track. Maybe that's why Rook picked you as his sniper?"

Simkins made a slight motion with his head, "Maybe Syd." He took another sip of water. He was on duty so he wasn't going to drink yet. "There is a problem though. The information that was going back and forth between Caldwell and Rawlings is incomplete. We were able to get the videos and other bits but if you want the full story, we need to find G-Man."

"He died," Sydney replied firmly. "He died at DZ. That was the reason they burned Rook and the rest of us." She became quiet as the waiter poured more wine into her glass. When he was gone, she continued, "Forget about him. Our benefactor will provide all in good time."

"I hope you're right Syd and you usually are about these sort of things," Simkins replied. He looked across the table at Sydney with a serious expression. He continued as he fingered the cloth on the table, "I know you had roughly ten years to get where you are now and the connections you have. You did better than those assholes at the Agency. Just don't put them all in the basket just yet."

Sydney smile din return, "Aww I didn't know that you cared Simkins."

"I don't."

Sydney chuckled, showing her teeth slightly. "Of course. I know what I'm doing. I'm good at waiting and I have been planning this since Rook refused to save his own skin."

Simkins nodded. He knew that Sydney took it hard when her attempt with Rook failed. It was sort of expected especially when you were sent out for months at a time and all that. Besides she and Rook had been paired together before. They had been a two man team before it was expanded. He knew though that Rook watched her back like he would any other but he was never interested in her that way. Of course she pinned it on Rook and to be honest he could have handled that better.

At least with Sydney, she was meticulous. She would plan and wait until she had an opportunity to strike when one least expected it and it was swift and it hit hard. That was why he didn't refuse when she offered this job. Plus he would get his vengeance on the whole thing. The truth would be revealed. He then had an idea. "What about getting the truth and telling Rook?"

"And what makes you so sure that he would believe you or any of us?"

"He doesn't know about you Syd. As far as he knows, you had nothing to do with this." Simkins studied Sydney and noted that she was thinking about it. "This could be one last appeal to get Rook on our side or at least cause trouble some more. Either way, he'll trust you Syd. He may be an ass but he won't begrudge an old teammate he perceives hasn't turned traitor. You were his first partner. I know he will listen to you."

Sydney thought about it. Simkins was right. Rook may not roll with them but he would end up causing more trouble for everyone. The deal would go smoothly and things would be good. The trick was getting the most senior of the group; the one with the most control needed to be agreeable. "I'll need to talk to higher up and see if they are agreeable."

"All anyone can ask Syd," Simkins replied. He knew his time was up and finished his water. He stood up and straightened his jacket. "I know you'll do what you can. You have my number."

Sydney raised her glass to Simkins, "In the words of Rook, 'we watch each other's sixes.'" She smiled as she said it and then took a sip of wine. She watched as Simkins made his exit. The man was good since he wasn't noticed by her client and longtime friend.

She smiled as her friend approached and he smiled back. She had her portfolio on the table ever since Simkins arrived. She liked being prepared and it was what helped get her where she is today. She stood up to greet her client with the customary handshake, "Clayton. I am so glad that you are able to make it. I trust that you read the latest numbers?"

Jarvis took the proffered hand and gave a shake. He sat down as Sydney did and raised his hand for the waiter. "Sydney, you're a sight for sore eyes. I did read the latest projections and they look favorable."

* * *

_The gunshots were echoing throughout the garage. They ricocheted off the cars as he ran by. The gunshots were off in the distance. There was nothing on the trail though but he felt uneasy. It was like it was quiet, too quiet and that was always something to worry about. He signaled to adjust the line._

_ They moved through the brush. They were almost to the LZ for extraction. He could see the hidden marker. They just had to make a beeline for it but he kept them in the grass. Something wasn't right._

_ "Boss, we're in the clear," Simkins said._

_ He wasn't sure but the conditions said it was a go. He motioned for the team to bring the scientists forward. He stayed until last even though he was first. It was a lesson that had been drilled into him since he was a boy about leadership and being a man. He breathed heavily and pressed his wound gently to test it. It was going to be hell to get to the boat._

_ The team was half way when fire erupted. They had been followed. He provided cover until he had collapsed from exhaustion. He was prepared to send the others off but that idiot! Gibson jumped out and ran back for him and got him to his feet._

_ He saw him get hit. It was a flesh wound but they both fell. He was caught though by a pair of hands. He couldn't see the face but he heard the voice, "Stay with me Ray."_

_ He turned his head. Bodies were on the ground. He could hear the screams. He then saw his team. Not those of DZ but his current team. Not them. Not his Scuito Bug and Gunny! Not DiNozzo, Tim. Where was she? Where was…_

_ "Ray?"_

_ Ray…_

Ray's eyes shot open and he gasp for air and shouted something unintelligible. Sitting up, he felt the sharp pain in his lower back and grimaced. He couldn't help but groan out in pain and he felt it all over. His hip and back were on fire and he felt like he was in a sauna.

Suddenly there was a cool hand on his bare shoulder followed by, "Easy, Ray."

Ray stopped moving to get a grip on reality. He closed his eyes and slowly opened them and found that he was in his safe house. Hearing that familiar voice, he frowned. No one knew unless he gave directions. He rubbed his head trying to recall everything and hopefully make sense of things.

Ziva had been watching. She had been watching to see if they had been found and she had been watching over Ray. It was lucky that she had zoomed in the car park when she did otherwise Hicks would have surely killed him. He had seemed to know that she was an escape and he jumped in the passenger side when she popped the door open.

Even though Tony and Tim had a thing about her driving, it had proved useful getting out of there. She was grateful that she had the foresight to remove the GPS tracking from the car. Her own Mini Cooper would have been an easy find. Hicks could have put a BOLO out on it and the PD would have found it instantly. So she went and got one that Gus had been working on and he had removed the GPS for her after she asked and gave something about using it for undercover. He bought it and did it and she was out of there and heading for the most likely exit Ray would take.

Once out she was going to head in the direction of his apartment but Ray protested and gave her a set of directions that came out in a weakened voice. When she looked over, he appeared flushed and not very well. She wanted to head to the hospital but that would raise questions. So she followed them and she found this warehouse/studio apartment place.

It had been a bit difficult getting him in the building, up the stairs and on the bed but he tried to help her out. From there she set about checking him over and she remembered his injuries from the Leland incident. It took a lot of willpower to not flinch at the ripped stitches and blood oozing out. The injury to his back looked tender to the touch and his shoulder looked inflamed. His hip was no better.

Ziva was not a doctor but she knew she had to keep pressure on the wound. She managed to get the bleeding to stop and packed the wounds with dressing to provide padding. By then Ray had been passed out and his face was flushed with fever and he was sweating. That she remedied by putting cool cloths she had found on his forehead all the while muttering how foolish he was in Hebrew, Arabic and whatever language came to mind.

Now he was awake and apparently from a nightmare. She had seen him wince and knew he must be feeling it. She asked, "Do you need anything?"

Ray had cleared his head by then and remembered what happened; his escape and Hicks shooting at him. Then the car coming and Ziva in the driver's seat. He gritted his teeth since it hurt to breathe and replied, "Countertop. Prescription bottle. Two."

Ziva went and found the bottle of painkillers, high grade stuff. She poured two into her palm and grabbed a glass and filled it with water and brought it back. She held the pills out and watched him down them and the water in a quick motion. She put the glass on the nearby nightstand and was ready to stop him when he started to move to get up. "Ray. Just stay still."

"Connolly is dead. I have to find Gibson."

Ziva had no idea what he was talking about but she wasn't going to let him kill himself by moving to soon. From the looks of things, his body needed to rest otherwise it would just shut down. "Not like this you will not." She put her hands on his bare shoulders, surprised at the strong muscles underneath. He had a physique that was sort of like Tim's. He looked in good shape but underneath, he was a toned and well-muscled man. If she had to take him down, it was going to be a hard fight. "You are injured."

"And Connolly is dead because his cover was blown. That means that Gibson is a target," Ray replied. It didn't occur to him that he sounded like he was talking nonsense. All that mattered was that he find Gibson before Simkins got his hands on him.

Ziva knew that he wasn't going to cooperate unless she made a reasonable argument and figured out who he was talking about. Soothingly she said, "I understand. I want to help you but you have to help yourself Ray. You have a fever and you broke a few stitches."

Ray heard what Ziva was saying and turned to look at her. He calmed down a bit and sighed, "Ziva?"

"Now you notice," Ziva replied. She couldn't help it but at least she had a foothold.

"I always notice," Ray replied as he released the tension in his body. He knew Ziva was right and he could feel the heat radiating off his skin. He sighed, "I have to find Gibson. He's the only one with the truth left and all this time…"

"Who is Gibson?"

"The scientist they told me that was killed during Dead Zone," Ray replied as he held his head in his hand. There was no need for secrets now. "Connolly made it out and I was told Gibson died but seeing Connolly on that slab… I knew."

Ziva had some idea who Connolly was but she wanted to make sure, "Connolly on a slab?"

Ray looked back up at Ziva, "Lt. Caldwell is not Lt. Caldwell. He is Connolly."

It took a bit but Ziva managed to get that Gibson and Connolly were the two scientists that Ray and his team were to extract. She was familiar with the basics of the operation from what Ray had filled the team in and now it was starting to come together but even she could see that there were holes missing. At least it explained how Leland got the blueprints for the nanites and the contract to work on them. What struck her as odd was that the op was considered a failure and yet the technology from that op was being used and no one knew what Dead Zone was except for Caldwell aka Connolly and he was the mole inside Leland.

"So you see why it's important that I find Gibson. He is proof that the op wasn't a failure and I was burned for no good reason."

Ziva nodded. They did need to find Gibson but right now her priority was taking care of Ray. He was bent on fixing this and he didn't seem to care that it was killing him in the process. "I understand but you cannot go out and start looking now. You are not well."

"I've had worse," Ray countered. That was true since he nearly bled out during Dead Zone.

"Still if you want to find Gibson you need to have some rest." With that, Ziva pushed Ray back down aware that she might have agitated his injuries. However, the look of surprise on his face said otherwise.

"Who died and made you boss?"

"I volunteered," Ziva countered. "I volunteered the moment Gibbs said he had a plan to get you into NCIS to look at Caldwell's body."

It dawned on Ray that Hicks may have seen Ziva and that meant that she would be placed on Hicks' hit list of fugitives. Maybe Hicks would be agreeable to surrender on Ziva's end. At least it would help in that it wouldn't ruin her life. He didn't bother getting back up to a seated position. He already felt vulnerable in that he was missing his shirt. Rolling his eyes he muttered, "Damn it Gunny. Why did you do that? Why did I even agree?"

Ziva let him rant a little before replying a little softly, "Gibbs' was giving you a chance. We have been working the case under Hicks' nose. Balboa's team may be the official team on the case but we are still working it. Gibbs knew that you needed as much access as he could give you but he was not going to leave you out to get wet."

"Out to dry," Ray corrected as he looked up at the ceiling. It did feel good lying down but he felt like he was wasting time. "So he came up with going to Norfolk, Abby would visit McGee and you were left behind…"

"I volunteered," Ziva repeated. Even though it had sounded like an order from Gibbs, she knew that the boss had given her a choice. She knew the risks and she accepted. "I made the choice and kept an eye for any signs of trouble. I am here because I want to be here."

"And in so doing you may have ruined your career with NCIS. Hicks will make sure of it if she gets the chance," Ray finished. He gave a sigh. "That bitch will do anything to close a case and clean up a mess."

"Why does she want to kill you? She does say dead or alive but she seems intent to kill you." Ziva was curious and she was inclined to think that the longer they talked, the less likely Ray will resist and actually rest for a few hours at least.

"She doesn't like me."

Normally that would have sounded comical but to Ziva it wasn't. She had that impression already after having met the woman in interrogation. "That I figured out the moment I met the woman. I actually wanted to strangle her but Fornell… interfered."

Ray raised his brow at that. He could believe that. Hicks could piss anyone off to that point. "Fornell was there?"

"I think he is trying to keep Hicks on a leash."

"Fornell is not so bad. I saw a few of his guys in the halls but I gave them the slip. He would keep Dorney out of trouble." Ray had closed his eyes by then as if to think. He hated to admit that Ziva was right and he could feel the aches in his body and all he did want to do was curl into a ball and sleep. He knew though that Ziva would not be satisfied until he gave an answer and it wasn't like he was going to keep secrets about Dead Zone anyway. "Hicks doesn't like me because she thinks that I 'ruined' her career."

"That seems… odd."

"Well Hicks' main specialty is in logistics. She's the one that was considered the best in organizing and executing ops for her section. How the whole thing goes, I'm up in the air on that." Ray adjusted his position since he was right on the throb on his back. "Anyway, one op didn't go too well. Slight error that was no big deal and I even noted it on the damn report."

"But she took it to be done on purpose."

"Talking to from the boss and Hicks always felt that I held her back for that." Ray opened his eyes to look at Ziva. "I don't fudge reports unless necessary and even then I have a good reason. One of my guys was injured so that kind of thing I made note of. Hicks blamed me and never forgave me for that and since then she has been looking for a means of burning me. That's the story of my life." He stretched slightly and gave a slight smile, "I guess I did need someone to boss me while I figure out what to do next."

Ziva gave a slight smile. The man was like Tony in using humor to deflect from the truth. She could detect pain and heartache. He had looked happy to be back here and now he was back in that queer expression of deep water or something. "From the looks of things you do need it."

"Are you offering?"

Ziva wasn't sure if he was teasing or serious. She knew that she was going to stick around. There was little choice in the matter since she made the decision to aid and abet a wanted fugitive. Yet she did it because she wanted to and she knew that Ray needed it. He wasn't one to say it but she could see that. The expression on his face though, it had her revisiting her reasoning. She countered and replied, "Just long enough to make sure you do not kill yourself with fever."

"Too late," Ray teased and closed his eyes. Within seconds he was fast asleep.

Ziva watched him drift off to sleep. He actually looked peaceful and not like how he was before when he was in the middle of a nightmare. He was actually nice and he looked familiar. That peaceful look she could recall from somewhere but she wasn't sure. She gave a slight smile as she got up from her perch and went around the apartment to inspect and see what kind of supplies they had. If they were going to do this right, then they were going to need every little bit to help.

* * *

**A/N:** Part III begins and there's a surprise. Makes you wonder what's going on now. We find out who rescued Ray from Hicks and it seems that a few revelations are made. Stay tuned for more Operation Dead Zone...


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Gibbs was just getting into the car with the files that he had obtained when his phone rang. He answered it, "Talk to me."

_Boss, Abby and I have something._

"McGee?" Gibbs paused a moment. He couldn't hear anything in the background like nurses chatting or medical equipment. "Where are you?"

_Um… not at the hospital?_

It would have been comical if the situation wasn't so serious. At the moment Gibbs was thinking that Hicks decided to move Tim and do a more formal interrogation. It escaped him that Tim had said that he and Abby found something. "Where are you McGee? And you better give me a good answer."

_McGee is telling the truth. We aren't at the hospital._

"Abby?"

_Boss, we found something that is related to the case._

"McGee, am I going to have to play twenty questions to get you to tell me what it is or where you are?" Gibbs tried not to let his impatience show through.

_You actually have to see it._

Gibbs was about to reply when his phone beeped. He was getting another call from the director. He put Tim on hold, which was rather an amazing feat considering he was not into technology that much, and answered, "Leon?"

_Gibbs, seems like NCIS had a security breach._

Gibbs looked at Tony and got into the car. Tony did the same and they sat. "Yeah. Anything out of the ordinary?"

_Seems like one of our agents was coerced into helping. Got away but Hicks is increasing her efforts. She wants to question you._

"I'll be there but nothing out of the ordinary."

_I know that Jethro but Hicks claims that someone helped him get away and Agent David is not in the building._

Gibbs looked over at Tony and started the car. "We're on our way back." He listened to the parting remark and got Tim back, "McGee?"

_Yeah Boss?_

"Keep doing what you've been doing."

_Right away Boss._

Gibbs hung up and started on the drive back to the Navy Yard. So it seemed that his old probie managed to get in the place but problems happened while getting out. At least Ziva was there to help him out. She seemed to jump on the chance even though he gave her the choice. No doubt Hicks was going to grill him about the trip to Norfolk but he had that covered and he knew Tony would do what he had to do.

"Everything good Boss?"

"No." Gibbs continued on the drive back. "We need to get those files in order. When we get back, pull someone from Balboa's team or evidence and get them sorted."

"Sure thing Boss."

~0~0~

Tim hung up the phone and held it for a moment as he stared at the laptop that was sitting on the table. He then looked at the guy that brought them there and the kid that was hovering in the background. It had been a lot to absorb in the last few hours aside from actually signing himself out with Abby to help. He said, "Boss was busy."

Gibson looked at the young agent that he had made sure was comfortable in the place that he and Connolly set up. "Oh dear. I am assuming that there must be trouble over at the Navy Yard."

"Well…" Abby looked at Tim for some prompting. When she got it, she continued, "Hicks has NCIS under surveillance. She thinks that Raymie will come back. For what…" She gave a shrug of her shoulders.

"He would go back. If there is a stone unturned and if it is true, he would have verified that Caldwell is indeed Connolly." Gibson sighed and looked down. He shook his head at the whole thing. It was spinning out of control. "Connolly, you had to go and get yourself killed. You were made."

Tim looked at the guy who said that he had the truth behind Operation Dead Zone, at least the parts that he had the access to. The guy seemed legit and his instincts as an agent told him that he was not one that would be after Ray. He certainly said that Ray wasn't to blame for Dead Zone and that he had been set up to fail. "So you didn't die after all?"

Gibson gave a smile, "No. Still here but I was told that I had to 'disappear' and for reasons which I will explain to you."

"Doc, the readings are a little funky," Danny said from his place in the background. He had been there all day monitoring the feeds and creating the backups. Now he was monitoring the current feeds, not sure where this was going to get him.

Gibson walked over, not realizing that Tim had managed to get out of the chair and had main his way slowly to where Danny was working. He was still sore from everything but he was doing good and Abby was there. Gibson was looking at the readings that Tim managed to open up on the laptop that Abby brought and was staring at them intently. He made a sound and said, "Oh boy. He's got a fever."

"Who's got a fever?" Tim looked at Gibson.

Gibson looked at Tim and noticed he was out of his seat. Convincing him to come was no easy feat but the desire to help their friend, especially from the girl was something he was impressed with. He replied, "The label says it. JJ Rook."

Tim narrowed his eyes slightly, "Who is that really? We checked what we recovered between Caldwell and Rawlings and there is no such person listed. The number is not even a viable contact number. Who is it that you are keeping tabs on?"

It was probably a mistake to be getting this excited over the double talk and possible code names but Tim wanted to know who Rook was and how it would help Ray. He looked at Gibson with a firm look even though his arm and chest hurt like hell. He was aware that Abby was holding onto him but not aware that he had been teetering, nearly ready to fall. "Who is it?"

"McGee," Abby whispered.

Gibson could see that the excitement was getting to the young agent. He replied, "You know who Rook is Agent McGee. You both do."

Abby understood right away what Gibson meant. That meant he knew what the name and number meant and he didn't say anything. "You mean…"

Tim came to the same conclusion Abby did, "JJ Rook is Ray." He frowned at Gibson as he teetered slightly. He was relieved and thankful that Abby had moved a chair nearby to sit. He felt at a disadvantage but given that he was hurt and he didn't want Abby to be too worried over him… he took a seat. "What is going on here? Why are you monitoring Ray's vitals?"

"And what do you mean he has a fever?" Abby couldn't help but ask. She was worried about her Raymie. There had been little to no contact except through various members of NCIS like Ziva and Ducky and he had been hurt, more likely worse than Tim and yet he was still walking.

Gibson looked at the pair. The time for secrets was long since over. He owed it to Connolly and Ray the truth. "You know what Leland Biotechnics was working on for the military, correct?"

Tim nodded, "Yes. Nanite technology, supposedly the kind that can be programmed to deliver computer virus or biohazards to predetermined targets. The next stage in warfare. Yes we know about that."

Gibson couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of that phrase he offered Ray during that night. The circumstances when he said it were hardly funny but they helped at the time. He sobered though and looked at the agent and forensic scientist. "That is what Leland wanted to do with the technology that was supposed to be destroyed but the original application was somewhat different." He looked at his assistant and said, "Danny, run and grab some coffee and a few boxes of ibuprofen."

Tim watched as Danny left. When the door closed he said, "You don't want him to know."

"What he doesn't know can't be used against him. All he'll be able to say was that he was working on a project for the faculty at Georgetown in computer science," Gibson replied. He pulled up Danny's chair and beckoned Abby to sit. "Besides if it is as I feared, the less he is out of the lime light the better even though he understood the risks when he agreed."

Tim nodded. It seemed okay and his gut was telling him that Gibson was legit so far. He was the first one to provide answers. Ray did too but he could understand why he couldn't. "Okay."

Gibson gave a slight smile, "You're a good agent, Agent McGee and I suspect a good friend to our mutual acquaintance even though you haven't known him for long. That much was evident when the devil woman questioned you."

Abby grinned at that, "She is a devil woman."

Gibson chuckled. He cleared his throat, "As I said the technology Leland has was intended for something else. The only reason it had survived is because Connolly and I were alive and the one who saved it is still alive."

"So Ray didn't fail in the mission?" Tim asked to confirm the info.

"On the contrary, he is the reason it was declared a failure," Gibson replied. At the confused looks on the two faces, Gibson continued, "Operation Dead Zone was not just a recovery mission from the hot zone where we had been working on the nanite technology. It was phase three of a larger version of Dead Zone that spanned years of time, money and technology."

Tim frowned at that. If this was the case then there was a possibility that Ray didn't know what he had been getting into when he was assigned. It stank of black ops and maybe other things. "Phase three?"

Gibson knew that it was going to be a long talk. "Operation Dead Zone is a three part operation that was designed for one purpose: to create the next stage in warfare for the US military."

* * *

Dorneget sat at the conference table at NCIS. His hands were folded and he was sitting perfectly still. Vance was sitting across from him reading a file. He knew that he could be in trouble for doing what he did if Vance chose not to believe him. However, Vance had asked him to relate what happened and he told the story and even described the shooting.

Now he was not sure what was going to happen. Word had been sent that Hicks was on her way up but she would be alone. Dorneget couldn't help but worry about the whole thing. Hicks looked scary and she didn't hesitate to fire when she had Agent Salazaar in her sights. She could have easily hit him and injured him and not even care. The whole thing made him nervous since he wasn't sure that he would be able to hold up to her questioning him. So he remained silent and didn't move even though he was just itching to.

Vance was reading what he had managed to procure and did have Dorneget's file in front of him. At the moment he was reading Agent Salazaar's record and cross referencing with what he had about Operation Dead Zone. He knew that Salazaar would agree with Dorneget's statement and Fornell could confirm that he saw Salazaar about to strike Dorneget when Hicks drew her weapon to fire.

He had to admit that Dorneget told a pretty good story but Vance knew enough to read between the lines. Dorneget willingly helped Salazaar into making a getaway. Vance had to admit that Salazaar was good at inspiring loyalty in a short amount of time. He had heard the whispers around the bullpen the day Salazaar arrived and seen the reactions. It wasn't like it wasn't public knowledge. Most of the older agents knew the story they had been told, Gibbs' included but Gibbs didn't believe it.

Dorneget must have met Salazaar somewhere like in the bullpen, evidence locker, or the break room and that must have left an impression with him. Vance knew that Salazaar wasn't guilty of what Hicks was accusing him of and Jarvis was sure of it since he had access to the man's service record and Vance was certain he managed to get an un-redacted copy of Operation Dead Zone.

At the moment Hicks opened the door and closed it firmly. Vance could tell that she was extremely upset. No doubt it was because Salazaar got away from her again. She looked at Vance and then Dorneget. "Director Vance."

"Agent Hicks," Vance countered smoothly.

Hicks looked at Dorneget and said, "Agent Dorneget, you are in trouble."

Dorneget looked up at Hicks. "I didn't do anything."

"You were found with a wanted suspect here in NCIS."

Dorneget looked at Hicks and replied, "He was about to hit me after he coerced me into helping him past security."

"You missed the part about still having your weapon," Hicks countered.

"Agent Hicks, I think that it was made clear that Agent Salazaar walked into NCIS. If he had Dorneget under duress with a gun…"

"With all due respect Director Vance," Hicks replied, "Agent Fornell's statement corroborates Agent Dorneget's statement about almost being struck by Agent Salazaar but I don't believe it for a minute. Someone from this agency helped Agent Salazaar through security and escape." She looked firmly at Vance and Dorneget.

"And what makes you think that?" Vance looked at Hicks. He had a good idea that Salazaar did have help in this case.

"Your little security stunt accounted for all personnel that works at NCIS. All except one," Hicks replied. She put a file on the table. "That would be an Agent Ziva David."

Vance looked at the file record that Hicks had collected. "What makes you so sure? Agent David could have been running an errand at the time of the incident."

Hicks narrowed her eyes at the director. He was going to play hardball on this one. "Do you have anyone to verify the whereabouts of Agent David?"

"Check the logs?"

* * *

Simkins waited in the car. It was parked at the meeting point. This was how it was ever since he started on this gig. He was the contact since Sydney set it up. Of course she was hands off; merely giving the necessary info. An elaborate plan that waited almost ten years or so to come into play and it was a shame that his old boss didn't want in on it.

Sitting in the car, Simkins thought about his former boss. He remembered how excited he was to be recruited to what was supposedly one of the best recovery teams out there. Sure the brass had final say but the boss said he wanted him. That was how he met the boss and Sydney.

They had been a pair before they formed the team. When Simkins joined, he thought they were an item. Usually that was a big no-no but then again it did happen whether you wanted it to or not. As it turned out, the boss didn't see her that way though Syd tried with the flirting. The boss took it and gave it back but it was more on that friendly level.

Simkins knew that Syd had a thing for the boss and ended up taking her sexual frustration out by sleeping with other team members. He was her favorite since he didn't care. Sex was sex to him and he wasn't emotionally involved but he did like her prowess in bed. The boss on the other hand was like a celibate priest even though there were a couple of times he had to play the role and he didn't like it at all. Simkins thought he was just being a prude but he later learned there was more to it and it had to do with his background.

One conversation revealed that the boss didn't see sex as a casual thing. It surprised Simkins that the boss was a gentleman and held women in high regard mostly because of his mother and sister. Simkins thought he had been made to grow a uterus but in the end it sort of helped on a few of the missions and the boss could be firm when necessary.

Simkins sort of knew from the start that the boss wouldn't join them in this plan for revenge. The man was too honorable and believed in serving the uniform and country proudly. That's what he got for being raised by a Marine. Simkins served too as a SEAL before being recruited but after DZ, he became jaded and wanted things to be made right. He hated to burn a man he did respect and make him a scapegoat but that was the price for this shindig.

The passenger door to the car opened and his contact got in. Simkins said nothing at first but started the engine. Once the car was moving he said, "You're late."

"I had a little errand to attend to. It is not easy getting the right contacts into place."

Simkins gave a slight nod. He had heard that one before. "Excuses. Here I was thinking that you were highly interesting in the product."

"We are. It is a matter of finding the highest bidder so that all parties are satisfied."

Simkins nodded. Of course it was all about the money. It was ten years' worth of compensation for everything that they had done and not so much as a hint of recognition. There were also the years of paradise to look forward to when this was all over. "Of course. Eagletop said as much when I was told to make contact with you."

"I am curious to meet this Eagletop. Everything has gone on according to what has been agreed and planned." The contact adjusted himself in the seat. He had nothing to fear from Simkins since they were well past that.

"Long term plans usually do work out. It's a gift." Simkins knew not to give too much away. He was the 'salesman' aside from being the best shot next to his old boss. He good at selling himself and others, which was not bad for a farm boy, but then again his family were champion horse breeders. "So I take it that you have everyone assembled?"

"There is one that is curious. He wishes to know if the technology can be duplicated."

Simkins shook his head, "Sorry. Highest bidder it goes to. That's the rule and the bids start once the demonstration is underway."

"I see," the contact said as he pulled out his iPhone. He began typing a message. "Then I will inform him of that and maybe you might have a fierce competition for bidding."

"That is always a welcome thing." Simkins made a turn. He was driving nowhere in particular but the drill was to stay within the same area. He was covered in the predetermined route. "Have all the interested parties made it in under assumed covers?"

"I know my job Mr. S," the contact replied giving a sort of deadpan look in Simkins' direction. "This is not the first time I have organized such a gathering. Besides not everyone is under high scrutiny. There are benefits to knowing how to sidestep the mines so to speak."

Simkins gave a nod of acknowledgement. It had been a risk since some were on the high profile watch lists and if Interpol and other agenices got wind, it would be surveillance up the wazoo. It wouldn't be good for business. He trusted Syd when she told him that this guy was the one to go to in order to set up the bidders. "Then everything should be well in order then."

"I hope so. Some of them are not pleased that they have to be kept in waiting but the promise of a successful demonstration would ease things along. More in terms of the bids."

"Then it will be well worth the wait since the demonstration is being set up as we speak."

The contact nodded, "Is it permissible to ask what the demonstration will consist of? The clients know what it is they are bidding on but they are curious as to the range of what this technology will do. I trust that there will be sufficient demonstration?"

Simkins thought back to Ringo and his working on the nanites. Ringo was good with electronics but nowhere near as good at their old boss. It had to take him threatening his partner to get the final locks undone. Still Ringo was confident and he would be checking up on him in the morning since he needed the time to work and figure out the manual… all that technobabble that had him frustrated and he ended up telling him to do what he needed. Wilkins would give the report.

Looking at the contact he replied, "Most assuredly."

"May we know this?"

Simkins rounded the final turn before heading back to the parking garage. "Let's just say that it will be against the one thing that your clients have fighting against since 2001. Plus a few more surprises will be added in there."

The contact nodded. It was obvious that was all to be given. The rest will come from the demonstration. "Then we shall be expecting a call regarding time and location?"

"Most assuredly. When the green light is signaled, you will know." Simkins pulled the car to a stop. He watched as the contact got out and closed the door and walk to the car that was waiting for him. "You will know," Simkins repeated in a low voice as he watched the car leave.

Once it was gone, he tapped near his ear and said, "All parties are a go. Proceed to the next phase."

He then turned the ignition on and pulled out of the garage. As he made a turn out onto the street, fat drops began to fall. It looked like it was an ominous sign of what was to come. He couldn't help but grin at the prospect. _Sorry you couldn't be a part of it Boss. We'll finally have justice done._

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like Tim and Abby learn the truth about Dead Zone. Dorney is facing off Hicks and Vance is helping. Looks like Simkins' plans are moving forward. More to come on Operation Dead Zone...


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

The rain was pouring as the night wore on. Ziva looked out the window and watched the water slide down the glass. Jethro gave a soft whine from his position near her and she absently rubbed the German Shepard's head as she glanced towards the area where the bed was.

Ray had been asleep the whole of the afternoon and into the night. He still had a fever and his skin was flushed but the sleep seemed to be doing him some good. In fact the bleeding stopped on the areas that had her worried. At least he seemed to take her threats seriously and sleep and it seemed that he was doing that to as much as his body was trying to get him to do.

In the meantime, Ziva had looked around the apartment that was a far cry from the one that she had been in when she first met him. This was the kind of place someone kept if they had a secret or two to hide. She knew that Ray had been an undercover agent but this was like the extreme… sort of like the places she had been in when she worked for Mossad. It had her curious about the man that was very kind, polite and didn't look like he had a mean bone in his body. She also had to admit that he was very handsome and she blushed at that.

The exploration had her find Jethro, who seemed to have made himself at home on a pillow. Ziva thought it kind of Ray to take Tim's dog though he must have known that she, Abby or Tony would have made sure the dog was fine. It did occur to her that there was a reason for that. Ray would have broken into Tim's apartment and for some reason but she had yet to figure it out. The only thing she could come up with was that he was hiding something.

She came across his personal affects that had been with him at the hospital before he booked. Cell phone, wallet, some other odds and ends; typical stuff that he would carry. His weapon of course was confiscated along with his bag that he carried and held onto like it was precious. Ziva got to see why when Abby pulled it out.

Abby explained that it was a card reader, very old school but good to get past security that required electronic key cards and access codes. The Goth demonstrated it and Ziva was surprised at it and it had her wonder what Ray would ever use it for. Abby had explained, "He used it to gain access to high security areas in the Colonel's lab. A dangerous thing since the Colonel worked in virology and some of the stuff…"

_The polite man was a troublemaker._

The thought had Ziva smile at that. Of course Abby went on to explain more about things and how it led to Ray going to school and get a degree in computer science and other things. No wonder Tim said that he was brilliant and from the way Abby described him, Ziva could see why she loved the enigmatic agent to pieces.

Ziva picked up the wallet and out of idle curiosity, she opened it. She knew that it was considered prying but she wanted to know about the man that held her attention. At first glance it was like any other wallet with the ID, money and credit cards. It was very modest, like he wasn't trying to draw attention to himself. She saw his ID for a crime lab in Las Vegas and it was legit. Then there was his NCIS badge. She could only just imagine what his life was like.

Moving the flap, she came across the pictures in his wallet. These held Ziva's interest and she moved them along. The first one was Ray with his daughter Nila and a German shepherd dog. How Ziva knew that the little girl was Nila? It was just a gut feeling and just looking at it, she could see that they were happy and plus she had seen the ones on his laptop. The next one had Nila and a boy smiling and waving. The third held a picture of Ray and his parents. He looked very much like his father but the uniform contrast was so different.

It looked like it was taken when Ray joined the Navy. The uniform was the same for all new recruits. It stood in stark contrast to the Marine uniform his father was wearing but father and son held each other firmly along with his mother. She looked strong and proud as she held onto her son, like she didn't want to let him go but she was giving a brave face because it was the right thing to do. Ziva rubbed the image tenderly. It made her remember happier times with her own family.

As she rubbed the plastic covering, her fingers brushed against a piece of paper. She looked in the wallet and found something tucked in a place that would have easy access but tucked away like a secret from the world. Knowing that it was probably something that Ray would want as a secret, Ziva inwardly debated on whether or not to pull it out.

Making her decision she pulled it out carefully. It was another picture but it had been folded in half to protect the image from the passage of time. Putting the wallet down, she slowly opened the picture. The image was something that had her stare at it for a long time.

There were three kids in the picture. Two boys that were obviously twins, one sitting at a piano and the other holding a guitar, were on the center and the right of the picture. To the left next to the boy at the piano was a girl. She was a very pretty girl with dark hair that was probably a perfect pitch black that came to her shoulders. She was holding a microphone and smiling, her eyes reflecting a playful smirk as she wrapped an arm around the boy sitting at the piano. She reminded Ziva of her own sister and Abby with that playful smirk. Was this…?

"That is Sylvia… my baby sister."

Ziva nearly jumped when she heard Ray's voice coming from behind. She turned to see him standing there wearing a pair of jeans but no shirt. Actually it was in his hands and he was just holding it, looking like he was not sure of what to do with it. The expression on his face was one that was quiet acceptance. There was no anger at going through his stuff. It was like he expected it. Ziva felt compelled to apologize, "I am sorry."

Ray came closer to look at the picture in her hand. "It's all right. It was from a happier time." He then turned to put the shirt on. His movements were a bit stiff and he gave up for a moment and started rotating his shoulders.

Ziva watched him get frustrated. He had a quiet way of getting frustrated. Perhaps if they talked… he wouldn't be so frustrated. "Your sister… do you see her much anymore?"

"Once a year. I always bring fresh flowers. Her favorite was the lily." Ray paused a moment before turning back. He gently took the picture from Ziva's grasp and folded it.

"You loved her."

"She was my baby sister. Of course I loved her," Ray replied. "I was her Raymie. I raised her." He thumbed the picture gently as he thought about it, "She had a beautiful voice and would always beg me to play for her the songs she knew. My brother sometimes joined but it was always me and her."

"I can understand why you have Abby as your favorite," Ziva replied. She took a moment to study Ray's back and did her best to ignore the white patches of gauze. She did notice the tattoo on the back of his left shoulder and read the script. She put her finger to trace it and asked, "This is for her?"

"I often tell people it is for a fallen Marine," Ray replied as he felt Ziva trace the tattoo. Her touch was light and airy and… pleasant. "She was tough like one but she would have turned out more like Abby; marching to the beat of her own drum and given leeway but also a firm hand." He paused a moment before adding, "A reason for me to join the Navy."

"I guess making a statement to your father was not in the picture," Ziva countered. When Ray had started to put his shirt back on, she helped him. He was less stiff this time around but he still needed a little bit of help.

"That was the last thing on my mind," Ray replied. "After college, did the Navy, was good at it, special ops stuff and then joined NCIS and worked undercover. History of my career in a nutshell." He turned around as he adjusted the front of the t-shirt. He had picked the black one since blood was not always easily visible on it and he had a feeling that he was going to have to move around some more before this was over.

At that moment, Jethro came up giving a low moan. Ray gave a slight smile and bent to rub the dog's head affectionately. "I know Jethro." He then kneeled to look at the dog's collar. Satisfied he said, "Good. Still there. Might work out after all."

Ziva frowned at that. "What is still there?"

Ray pulled out what he had hidden on Jethro's collar. It had been a gamble but few would ever look at the dog. He held up what was unmistakably a SIM card. "There was a reason why I went to Tim's place."

"What is that?"

"This contains what the nanites need to work. The program codes. Without them, they are useless," Ray replied as he looked at the SIM card. It was partially the truth but at this point, the less said the better, especially if Simkins figured out he had been duped.

Ziva thought about it and managed to put two and two together, "You let them purposely get away with the nanites."

"McGee was my concern and I figured if we did get out and they discovered it, it would be a bargaining chip," Ray admitted. He slowly closed his hand over the card. "You don't have to like it and believe me I like it even less but…" He turned to look out the window. The rain was pouring down hard.

"You did what you had to do," Ziva finished. She could understand that. How many times has Team Gibbs nearly crossed the line and then some? "What I do not understand is why you felt you had to keep this from everyone. I can understand if it was something that you were ashamed of but it was like you were deliberately withholding things."

"Gibbs knew… up to a point," Ray replied after putting the card back in the hiding spot on Jethro's collar. "Vance knew what his clearance allowed him but ultimately I was… told to do this by Sec Nav."

"Sec Nav?"

"The idea was to keep Dead Zone under wraps but the more I think about it, Sec Nav wanted me to look into it. He wanted me to dig deeper… like get into places the normal channels wouldn't allow." Ray paused a moment and rotated his limbs. It was more of a cover to hide his pain. "I was more about toeing the line. I wanted back in yes but I wasn't going to screw it up. I have a family."

Ziva could certainly understand that. "So you were following orders?"

"My rep precedes me in most places, Ziv," Ray replied as he turned to look at her. "I knew I was on a short leash and I wasn't about to make things worse. My mistake so now the only thing I can do is find what Simkins is planning and stop it. After that…" he shrugged his shoulders.

"And this is relating to finding Gibson?"

"Yes," Ray replied. "If anything Gibson will provide the missing link and clear up Dead Zone. Simkins and his team captured will get Leland their materials back…" He sighed and looked off into space. He ran a hand through his hair and could feel the heat radiate from his skin.

"You mentioned that they were re-enacting Dead Zone. What would that entail?"

"Aside from me getting shot and nearly blown up," Ray replied in a sort of joking manner. "They finished it but there is more to it. Simkins wanted revenge. That means…" He had an idea and went to grab the clean laptop. It was probably a bad move on his part since his hip was acting up and he did a hop shuffle to get it. The sitting down and accessing what he needed was the relief.

Ziva had seen Tim type fast but this was near impossible at the speed he was typing. "McGee is good."

"He's better. I'm just faster," Ray replied as he kept his eyes on the screen. The strings of code that came across looked like gibberish to others but he knew what it was all about and could read as he typed.

"So what are you looking for?"

"Making a contact. If my suspicions are correct, they will use the nanites to make a point… a sort of demonstration," Ray replied. He looked up to see Ziva looking at him with a slightly puzzled look. He explained, "The reason Sec Nav gave me specific orders was because there was surveillance done and Simkins was seen with known arms dealers. More likely he will sell to the highest bidder and… you can get the picture."

"So if you find out what they intend to do…"

"Could be a big catch since one or two are known with terrorist ties," Ray replied as he finished the code. It was about as secure as it was going to get. "And could stop whatever they are doing."

_Jay Bird long time, no hear._

Ray typed his response, 'You know the details about that. What is scuttlebutt?'

_Nothing more yet._

Ray narrowed his eyes at that. He could feel Ziva leaning in over his shoulder. Normally an act like that would annoy him. He knew one who constantly tried to do it and it nearly pissed him off. Ziva was different and he found that he liked it. "Nothing more, my ass," he muttered as he typed his response.

"Who are you talking to?"

"The one they recruited to do the job they wanted me to… break the security on the vault."

"So…"

"It's not what you think," Ray replied. "Ringo is CIA and undercover. He's as loyal as they come, which is saying something."

_Can't tell you over this connection._

Ray typed, 'Fine then. Same as before?'

_Bring the mutt. It's big Rook and it looks like it could get out of hand._

The connection went dead after that. Ray didn't bother to try and reestablish since there was no point. His finger gently tapped the key as he stared at the screen. It was big and probably Simkins was watching. That would just be perfect. "So I might be right after all," Ray muttered more to himself as he thought some more.

"I take it that we have a meeting of sorts?"

Ray closed the window and began pulling up other things, "You don't need to go. It's just a simple information exchange." He began pulling up facial recognition software and he plugged in a USB drive into the laptop. He began running facial recognition on all databases. "Whatever Ringo has, it will be the truth."

"I am not staying here," Ziva said firmly.

"The less people see you the better."

"Ray, don't make me hurt you," Ziva countered as she looked at him. It was enough to get him to look back at her and they locked eyes for the longest of times. "I am going with you," her voice came out low and sultry.

* * *

Gibbs stood looking at the man in front of him. He rather liked him and the no nonsense attitude he had but he was a bit like Tim and Abby when they got into their techno speak. It was dark outside NCIS and the rain was coming down but that was the least of his worries. It was actually a highlight and the first real piece of evidence that came his way that was close to figuring out how to help his old probie. The bonus that Hicks was spitting mad was uplifting too.

He and Tony had returned to NCIS with their evidence and were pounced immediately upon by Hicks. She grilled them until Vance pointed out smoothly that she was keeping his agents from completing their work. That led to Hicks pointing out that he needed to garner more cooperation from his agents since Dorneget was being stubborn about it.

To hear that actually had Gibbs proud. Dorneget was like when Tim first came to his team and occasionally Tim had a moment relapse but from what he heard, the agent had some mettle. He asked Dorneget what happened and the agent repeated what had been said. Not even Gibbs' usual tricks of making a suspect slip up made him change his story. Of course it made Hicks grill him and Tony about their whereabouts and the whereabouts of Ziva but they both handled it pretty well. Hicks fuming was a pretty good indicator.

They had been left alone for most of the evening and Gibbs was about to send Tony and Dorneget home since he had the probie as a temp. Abby had been back at her lab and was probably going to go home. Tim was wherever he was when he booked from Bethesda and that was a good thing since Tim seemed to be on the trail of something. He was powering down when an elderly looking man that was still fit walked in asking for him. He asked, "I'm Gibbs. What can I do for you?"

The man said, "Actually it is more about what I can do for you and a certain… probie."

That had Gibbs' attention and he direction the man into his 'office'. He wasn't too worried about the old man being able to handle the elevator. He flipped the switch to shut down the elevator and replied, "What do you know?"

Gibson looked at Gibbs with a discerning eye. He would have made a good candidate himself. Brushing that aside, he replied, "I have information that will clear your probie from the damage done by Dead Zone and possibly save his life."

Gibbs studied the man as well. His gut was telling him that there was much this guy could give him. The question was whether or not he could trust him. "Caldwell?"

"His name is Connolly, my colleague from that operation. We were both kept under the radar when we returned stateside. Not a good thing for your probie. Connolly was the one who uncovered our pilfered research at Leland where he was working. He was the lead on it."

"I know. I saw the files," Gibbs replied. "So he started sending out pieces of information…"

"No, he was recruiting someone to help. I didn't realize it until I started seeing the backups. We were hidden but we were still active. We had to be for the sake of your agent. Everything we have in data storage is from our end of Dead Zone and what happened those two nights." Gibson knew it was a risk revealing this but since he had done his homework and Agent McGee verified it, he knew that Gibbs would work with the material that he was given.

"Why come forward now?"

"It wasn't our intention. I was content on monitoring Agent Salazaar to make sure they were working properly. It is the only reason he was not put into active combat and left virtually alone all these years," Gibson replied. At the look of confusion on Gibbs' face, Gibson posed a question, "Do you recognize the name JJ Rook?"

"Yeah, it popped up in our investigation of Rawlings' and Caldwell's deaths. We assumed it was a name of someone, a cover and it had a contact number," Gibbs replied remembering what he could from what Tim and Abby first discovered.

"No doubt Connolly gave that info to Rawlings since he would know how to use it."

"So it is a contact?"

"Yes but not in the traditional manner." Gibson shuffled a bit. It was a little warm in the elevator but it was no big deal. "It was a line of code and was specific to JJ Rook. All members of the team had their own code."

"Wait a minute, are you saying that there are more?"

"That's exactly what I am saying," Gibson replied, taking in the other man's annoyance and hidden surprise. "The team sent to retrieve me and Connolly each had their own code for communication. Even the ones not as techno savvy knew it and could contact each other should other modes be compromised."

"So Rook was part of the team sent during Operation Dead Zone?"

"Yes. He is your Agent Salazaar." Gibson paused a moment before explaining, "When the mission was declared a failure, the codes were scrapped. All of them but his. I made sure of that but put it in Connolly's hands to make sure he was aware of it."

"So you were working in secret?"

"To preserve what was destroyed. Agent Gibbs, the version of events you received is not what went down. It was changed to indicate failure by making it look like I died as a result of my injuries. I was relocated nearby and I now work at Georgetown as a professor. Agent Gibbs, you were fed the same lie that everyone else was including your Secretary of the Navy."

"So you're saying that Sec Nav doesn't know the whole story himself?"

"It would make sense considering that whoever was in charge of the project didn't want it to be known except as a mission gone bad. It's an elaborate lie and the key to the truth lies with Agent Salazaar and the secret he had been holding all these years." Gibson looked at his hands knowing that the next part of this was going to be difficult.

"What secret?"

"He doesn't know about it and I take responsibility for that," Gibson replied. He heaved a sigh, suddenly feeling a lot older. "At the time it was the only way I could save his life since I owed him much for the risks he took when we were abandoned to our fate."

Gibbs softened his expression some. He could understand that. His old probie was just built that way and he did try to look for the best solutions possible. "What happened?"

"He was injured, badly and was in danger of bleeding out," Gibson replied as he recalled that night. "Yet he still kept going, trying to make it to the LZ. We almost were caught but a woman saved us. Gave us a place to hide while I assessed his injuries. Shot to the abdomen."

"Those usually are pretty bad," Gibbs allowed.

"Even with his strong will, his body would give out long before we made it," Gibson continued as if he had never been interrupted. "So I did what I had to do. I gave him an injection."

"Steroids?"

Gibson paused a moment. He then looked at Gibbs and said, "Nanites."

* * *

**A/N:** So it looks like we might have some answers revealed and the formation of a plan. Keep watching for more Operation Dead Zone...


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Abby was in two minds about a lot of things. This though, she wasn't sure what to think. She could understand it. Really she did but it still hurt that she had to find this out second hand. Yet if she thought about it, she couldn't blame Raymie especially if he didn't know what had happened to him. He probably didn't even think much about it and assumed it was something that was just is.

She had to admit that it was a bit of a shock to find that Ray would have died had Gibson not helped him when he did. She did the math and she knew the numbers. It was just… She looked around her lab, not sure what to think or if she should talk to herself to help her along. Looking out the window, she could see the rain start to fall.

Her eyes lighted on a picture that she had sitting on one of her shelves. It had been there for years, tucked out of the way so that no one could see it unless they really looked. It was one of the more important pictures she had besides the ones of her family.

The frame was bought as a birthday present and had little spider webs and bats painted in silver over the black. It had been handcrafted and Abby remembered pestering about the artist but she had received no answer and it still drove her crazy but she never got rid of it.

The picture was one taken during one of those moments when she had needed cheering up since it had been a bad case. Ray showed up on her doorstep after work looking like a lost little puppy. It was the look that he always wore when he cheered her up because he knew that it made her smile. It did the first day that they met and she had been in a bad mood.

Anyway he came to her doorstep and proceeded to cheer her up. He took her to a small fair and carnival complete with animals and games. That picture showed the two of them together. She was hugging him and giving a kiss to his cheek and he was hugging her back. They both had been given a face painting and she knew that it took a lot to muster up the courage to do that to his dignity but he did it.

They had taken several at the carnival but that one he gave her. Taking it down from the shelf, Abby slid the back off and looked at the back. He had written in his meticulous handwriting and she knew it was from his heart. That cemented their relationship to what it was and she never stopped writing, never doubted him even when she heard the rumors why. She knew that he would never lie to her unless it was important. They didn't keep secrets from each other even though he always said the exception was birthdays.

_Abby was typing furiously on her computer. She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. He was her Raymie. He wasn't capable of doing that; what they said. That wasn't true._

_ "Abbs?"_

_ Looking up, she saw Ray looking at her. He looked like he was about ready to be sent off to wherever they were going to send him. She couldn't be mad at him but she was hurt. "I thought you were leaving."_

_ "Not without seeing you first. Did you really think that I wouldn't say good-bye to my favorite?"_

_ He had looked hurt that she would think that. She saw it as she looked back up at him. She could feel tears coming but she had to hold them back. She couldn't let him see them because that would make it worse. "No," she gulped, "But you here saying good-bye… it makes it all the more real. You're really leaving."_

_ She bum rushed him and gave him a very tight Abby hug. He welcomed it and held her. She could feel his hands run through her hair in a soothing gesture. She said, "I can't believe and don't believe what they say about you."_

_ "That is all that I need."_

_ "Why Raymie? Why do you have to go?"_

_ Ray had been quiet for a little bit as he held her in the hug. She released him to look at him and say that he had been in debate of what to say. He looked at her and stroked her cheek with his palm and said softly, "Scuito Bug, I know you don't want this and I don't want this but there are things that happen and often for reasons beyond understanding or control. It isn't about surviving it but learning to not let it break you. The important thing is remembering what you still have."_

_ "And what do you have if not this?"_

_ "You. I'll always have you Abbs. Distance may be a pain in the ass but you'll always be my Scuito Bug. The only one I will ever risk my dignity for." Ray gave a slight chuckle as he said it. It was then that he noticed the picture. "I see you still have it."_

_ Abby smiled then at that and picked it up to show him. "It's my favorite. You're like the big brother I wish was a part of my family."_

_ Ray held it for a moment. He chuckled softly. "As long as you have this, I'll never leave."_

Abby remembered that as she opened the back of the picture and read what was written on the back. She never mentioned it when the picture arrived at her office. She knew that Ray always had an additional surprise when it came to his presents. He had written exactly what he had said the day he had left and it had Abby wonder if it was had been an omen then.

Of course he had taken the picture before he had to go on a mission. As it turned out that was the mission that ended up getting him exiled and now they were in the situation they were in now. She still believed that he was innocent and now that she knew what she did courtesy from Gibson… she knew that her Raymie was just a pawn.

Putting the picture back to rights, she set it back on its place of honor. She gave a slight smile as she began powering her babies down for the night. She was going to power down and then go check on Tim. He didn't go back to his place but opted to stay at Gibson's place and work on that end. She was going to have to be careful since they were still being kept an eye on by Hicks and after what happened with Ray getting caught and then escaping, possibly by Ziva, she was going to step it up.

Taking one last look at the picture, her gaze drifted to another that had been taken and saved. She gave a slight smile and left her lab and headed to where her car was. She noted where her escort to the car park was and accepted it. She would just have to get creative and remember everything that Gibson had told them to do.

As she got to her car and was sitting in it, getting ready to start it, her phone beeped signaling a text message. She frowned a bit and pulled out her cell phone. She didn't recognize the caller ID. In fact it was just a number so there was no way to filter it without reading it.

_What's the Scuito Bug?_

Abby looked at the text message and a thousand things she wanted to do passed through her mind. Of course she was wary since it could be a set up but no one knew about his nickname for her except for Tim. Yet it was like old times when he did it in person. She decided to take a risk and typed a response.

_About as fine as things can be. I'm glad that you are okay._

Abby smiled as she typed her response. It was him. It was her Raymie.

_Working on a plan. Just work the science Abbs. Everything will work out and I know McGee would agree with me. I will always be with you._

Abby knew she couldn't linger. She sent her reply and turned on the ignition. She felt a smile creep up her lips. If anything, her Raymie had a plan and it would be a good one. She drove on home while thinking of how to double back and go see Tim.

* * *

Hicks paced in the office space that she had commandeered on the Navy Yard. She cursed the fact that she was not in the actual NCIS headquarters but the director had put his foot down on that one. She really didn't have much say on that and they were technically complying but she knew she was being stonewalled.

Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was like an annoying pinprick that just wouldn't go away. He was covering for the fugitive and she knew it. She knew that he was the one that orchestrated the incident that led to the lockdown and then the shootout with the fugitive who now had an accomplice. He was the kind that just loved to bend the rules and would do whatever it took to get the job done.

At one time Hicks would have grabbed a man like that and put him on her team. She made a mistake with that and now she was paying for it. The upside was that she would get to really stick it to the bastard she hated. A bonus was that he was a favorite of Agent Gibbs. She knew the signs and she recognized them. That bastard was close with Gibbs and that man would do anything for him. It didn't occur to her that Director Vance would be on the same page.

Special Agent Timothy McGee was no doubt already suckered in. A shame he had been injured and was now out of the hospital AMA. Her men were having a hard time locating him. Could be that he was good at ditching a tail or he was the accomplice. She didn't think he could ditch a tail easily since she read his profile and was virtually one of those geeks that belonged at Cyber Division.

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo was more likely to be influenced by the possibility of a traitor in the midst. Of course that would take sweet selling since the bastard technically wasn't a traitor. There was the blacklisting of the fugitive as well as the redaction in the file. It was enough and yet DiNozzo seemed just as adamant as Gibbs about protecting the fugitive. It seemed that team loyalty was extremely high in this case. It was something that she would have welcomed with open arms on her teams.

Then there was Ms. Abby Scuito, the lab forensic expert. Hicks determined her to be very good at going off on tangents. She figured it was an act when in most cases it was Abby's nature to do that. The couple of times Hicks had talked to her, it was evident that Abby was up to something. Since she wasn't doing anything illegal or wrong, there was no reason to go after her. It did irk Hicks that Abby would defend the fugitive even if the forensics pointed elsewhere.

Lastly there was Agent Ziva David. Hicks had been most impressed by her record since she was former Mossad and part of an exchange program between Mossad and NCIS. She did leave to become a US citizen and an official agent with NCIS and on Gibbs' team. If anything she was the most likely candidate to have been the one driving the vehicle that the fugitive got away in. She didn't have proof even though David hadn't shown up the rest of the day.

Hicks paced around. It seemed that the wagons were circled to protect the one man who virtually destroyed her career. It had escaped her that her career was hardly destroyed. In fact with the commendation that came from the man she hated, elevated her position within her division. The fact that it was still there was what cemented her belief that Agent Ray Salazaar was the one that was out to get her. She couldn't stand that polite mannerism that hid a ruthless killer.

She was about to go into another mental rant when her phone rang. Picking it up, Hicks answered, "Hicks."

The voice on the end held her attention. She almost felt like the owner of the voice was there in the room with her. He always made her feel like that. With Salazaar, that bastard was like Gibbs and had certain liberties, and was one more thing to piss her off. Still she stood up straight and replied, "Yes sir. We are working on the problem."

The voice said something. Hicks almost grimaced. It was a good thing that her contact couldn't see her and they were separated by wires and electricity. She replied, "I understand. I know he is valuable and…" She paused and finally said, "Sir, it is possible. Even you must have to admit that."

The conversation finished and it didn't feel satisfactory to Hicks. She felt like she had once again been snaked out of having a good position and it all had to do with Salazaar. She hated him and the sad thing was that they were once friends. Hell she was the one that recommended him for the team leader position for the set of projects that she was overseeing and there had been others that were much more qualified. That was before everything.

It was also Gibson's fault. He was the one that wanted Salazaar's team. He said that they did better even though the stats said otherwise. At the time Hicks let it go since Gibson was the scientist. He knew his thing better than she did and all the brass cared about were the results. Now Connolly fucked with everything. Leland was going to have a contract and there had been no trace of the original project but that bastard had copies.

Hicks sighed as she looked at her phone. She hit the speed dial for a number and held it up. At the pickup, she said, "It's me Hicks. What do you have?"

_Everything is on schedule._

"Did you find him?"

_Rook is an elusive one. No doubt he has contingencies stashed around town. I wouldn't worry about him._

"I need him found and taken care of."

_Relax. He's injured. You hit him remember?_

"But he hasn't shown up in hospitals or clinics. And he won't. I want him. Brass wants him alive but if…"

_I get it. Oh and things are ready to go. Soon everything will be gone._

"Just take care of him." Hicks looked at nothing at nothing in particular. "I have my men available to take care of it. Don't screw around. Find him and do what you all were good at."

_Yes your highness._

Hicks didn't like the tone but she wanted to make sure that all her bases were covered. Sure the brass wanted him alive but there was such a thing as resisting arrest. Assault on an agent and other things could lead to the use of deadly force; in the end they would have their man and the last of it would truly be swept away.

Turning to her monitors, she had sent the tech home, she checked and noted that Abby's car was leaving. She didn't have a tail on Ms. Scuito since her activities seemed confined to Bethesda and her apartment and work. The tail had been removed but Hicks decided on contemplating a change.

* * *

The rain had stopped to a light shower. You still needed a coat an umbrella since you were by the coast anyway. The rain beat a gentle tattoo on the windows and the lights from the streets cast the shadows of the water running down. It was almost peaceful.

Ziva opened her eyes for no reason at all except that she felt the need to wake up. She sat up and realized that she was occupying the bed that had been previously occupied by Ray. She vaguely recalled at her insistence on helping him figure out what his old team was up to and finding this man named Gibson. Of course Ray wanted to start right away even though he had just woken up and was still stiff and sore.

A slight harrumph drew her attention and looking down, she saw Jethro sleeping at the foot of the bed. He was turned so it appeared that he was looking at the door and watching to make sure no intruders were there. Ziva had no doubt that Jethro would snap awake at the first sign of trouble. Gently she rubbed his ears and looked around.

The last thing that happened was that Ray had been sitting at his laptop and working away at it. He had been sending messages or doing things that were on par with Tim's hacking skills. All she could make out was a screen and coding and she got sleepy and he told her to take the bed.

Ziva remembered distinctly taking the couch and the last she saw before falling asleep was him bent over the laptop. She could see a thin layer of sweat on his brow that was furrowed in intense concentration. It wasn't that hard to guess how she got from the couch to the bed and he put a blanket over her.

Jethro gave a low moan as she got up to find Ray. She saw that the laptop was off but open indicating that he was finished with what he was doing. Petting Jethro and motioning that he could stay, Ziva started looking around. She hoped that he hadn't pushed himself so hard that he was passed out on the floor. She didn't know what she was going to do if that happened. Ducky was a logical choice but with everything going on and Palmer had a wife.

"He is worse than Gibbs," she muttered to herself as she looked around. She couldn't help but mutter the same thing in Arabic and Hebrew and any other language that seemed to come to mind. It made her feel better but only a little. She was worried for the agent since he was running virtually on empty.

She went through the kitchen and found a glass sitting on the counter next to the sink. A glance told her that it was milk. At least he had something that was sort of like food. That was a good thing but he was going to need more than that.

A slight sound caught her attention and she peered into the darkness. Jethro hadn't moved at all. That told her that it was Ray and she looked in the general direction of the sound. She muttered something as she advanced, not reaching for the gun that was on the counter. There was no threat there unless you wanted to count Ray having another nightmare. Still she approached slowly to avoid startling him.

She found Ray asleep on the couch. His arms were folded across his chest and his legs were crossed at the ankles. His shoulders and head were cushioned by the sofa pillows and his head was turned away from the back. He looked like he was in a deep sleep.

Peering around, she spotted a Sig Sauer on the floor. From the look of it, it had fallen out of his hand while he was asleep. Ziva gave a slight smile at the sight and started to turn back to the bed.

"I promised didn't I?"

Ziva turned to see Ray looking at her. He blinked owlishly at her but she could tell that he was alert. His muscles were tensed to spring if necessary and he probably was listening for any noise in the hall. "So you did," she replied. "I was sleeping on the couch."

"You said take what was comfortable. The couch was comfortable," Ray replied in a low tone. It actually wasn't but it wasn't like people were receptive to his manners when he really showed them.

"You are injured. You need to rest."

"And I am." Ray made a casual movement. He took a look at Ziva's face and sighed. "Ziv, it's who I am."

"Trading places?"

"First and foremost I am a gentleman," Ray replied. He adjusted his position slightly and continued, "It was the most important thing I was taught by my mother. The Colonel taught me values of honor and all that but my mother taught me how to treat a woman and believe me, it wasn't exactly the kind of thing that family back east would exactly endorse."

Ziva studied Ray. He hadn't moved and she figured that he probably was trying to hide the pain if he was in any. His expression was serious but she could also tell that he was tired and not from working this case but from the fact that he was justifying being polite. "I understand but why not wake me?"

Ray raised his brow at that, "Do you think I was going to mess with that and risk getting locked in a chokehold?"

Ziva knew she wouldn't have done that. Call it a gut thing and true that she had known the man for only two days but she trusted him. Besides, it was like she knew him from somewhere before but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. "It was a risk picking me up and carrying me. Not just to me by you."

"I'm usually good at reading people," Ray replied. He glanced at the window. There was still some time to catch a couple more hours of sleep. "You should get some sleep if you want to still be my backup."

Ziva took that as a gentle dismissal. She headed over to where the bed was and got back under the covers. Jethro still hadn't moved and in fact seemed to snuggle closer to her. She gave him a pat and noticed that Ray had readjusted the Sig so he could pick it up if he needed to and settled back on the couch. She wasn't going to argue anymore since he was going to not budge on taking the couch. She couldn't quite understand. He was a federal agent and special ops at some point meaning that he killed people and he still was a gentleman. It was a rare thing and she thought about it as she drifted back to sleep.

Ray knew that she was asleep when the breathing patterns changed. He gave a soft smile as he readjusted his position. The couch wasn't the most comfortable in the world but it would serve its purpose. Besides he needed a little elevation since his lower back was still sore. It was nothing he couldn't handle since he had worse but he wasn't sure of what he was going to do now that he had a woman determined to boss him around and it wasn't any woman but the one he hadn't seen in years.

It had taken him a moment to think about it after he was introduced his first day back. Since then he kept his thoughts to himself since he knew that would lead to other things that he would have to fight against. When he heard the name, he remembered it well and at first couldn't believe if it was the same person. Part of his hacking and surfing personnel files while impressing Tim was absorbed in following up on Ziva and it was then he knew who she was.

In all honesty, he had never forgotten the woman who held his life in her hands that night. It had been a little hard to think about it since that night was full of dirt, adrenaline, fear, the need to survive and the fact that the said woman had a gun pointed at him at the time.

It had been Ziva that saved him and Gibson from getting caught that night. She gave them a place to stay and even helped them get to the landing zone. It was also when he knew he fell fast and hard for her. He didn't know her name then but he certainly did know it now and it put him in a difficult spot.

He hadn't wanted her to accompany him in meeting with Ringo but she was insistent. He wasn't going to say no since he knew that once she made up her mind, she was going to go through with it. The best he could do was watch out for the both of them. He would watch her back and she would watch his but it was a little bit different and he wondered how he was going to work that one out. It was one of the last things on his mind when he finally went back to sleep.

* * *

**A/N:** Now obviously Hicks hates Ray to the bone so it looks like she might be lashing out at his friends. Abby still determined to prove him innocent and looks like Ray has a little secret. Keep watching for more Operation Dead Zone...


End file.
